Shadows of Heroes
by RurikoTsukuyomi
Summary: The Naruto World is altered with the arrival of new enemies/friends! New destinies are created and new fates are revealed! Rated to be safe. Sorry if your OC was not chosen, possibly due to lack of info. FIN
1. Chapter 1

**I am rewriting this. Please and thank you!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES. I do, however, own:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Hajin**

**Ayano**

**Zoki**

**A/N: I'm back to writing~ Obviously. :D**

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Chapter One: Introductions

Things were racing too fast. No time to think, not time to stop and ask questions! He was catching up and he was catching up fast!

_Kuh-TWHACK!_

_Kuh-TWHACK!_

The dangerous thunks of kunai hitting the tree trunks around me were urging me to move faster, the heels of my black ninja shoes leaving the branches as soon as they touched. The wind whistled around me. I felt like I was running out of time.

He'd be on me in a second if I turned to fight!

This was such a hassle sometimes.

Pushing off another tree branch, I took my chance and whirled around, clasping my hands in a hand sign and switching off to another one before pointing my index finger and middle finger together out. A long, jagged bolt of blue electricity shot forward and crackled through the air like a spider web billowing in the wind. I managed to catch my balance on a tree branch, watching with satisfaction as my plan worked. I heard a loud yelp of surprise as the trees in the woods started to topple toward the center, where I had sent my chakra as electricity. I folded my arms over my chest, watching and listening as I killed another group of trees.

Good thing I wasn't some kind of activist trying to save the planet or else this would be bad.

Moments passed before I felt a kunai touch my throat. I frowned at the warm puff of breath on the back of my neck and realized I had lost again.

"Too slow." Came Nero's snicker as he lowered the kunai from my neck. I flashed him a quick glare, pale lavender eyes making it hard to look vicious as he stepped away from me. He was two years older than me with cool gray hair, a bluish tint to it, and aqua green eyes. He was looking pretty damn proud right now too. I looked up as another figure landed on the branch with us.

"Damn! That was terrible!" My brother, Akira, yelled, wiping sweat from his brow. I frowned at him as he tied his shoulder length black hair into its ponytail with the red bow. Despite his periwinkle eyes looking tired, he was showing excitement all over his face.

"She's gotten stronger with Ninjutsu," Nero commented, folding his arms over his chest, "But she sucks at detecting an enemy." I was tempted to hit him, but decided against it and settled for rolling my eyes at him. He flashed me a grin anyway.

Everyone knew, even me, that he was a flirt and obviously liked me… Well, yelling it out during the placements of our squads said it all when he leapt up, yelling out loud.

I was only a thirteen-year-old Genin, on a team full of boys, one being my third eldest brother, Akira, and the other member a family friend, Nero. Our sensei, my oldest brother, Kazuya, had told us to train before we went to Konohagakure for the Chuunin Exams. I for one thought it was a waste of time. My second oldest brother, Hioshi, got to Chuunin level by simply saving someone's life… And he doesn't get to go anywhere, which I envied a lot. Work just wasn't my thing, ya know?

"Anyway," Akira said with a tired yawn, stretching, "That should be enough. Kazuya's probably waiting up ahead for us at the gates."

"Think we're set for these exams?" Nero asked.

"Oh, definitely! We're fucking undefeated!" Akira whooped and shot up ahead. I smacked my forehead, making Nero smirk before we both took off. We were an odd squad. Akira and his boisterous attitude. Nero with his cockiness… Then me, the lazy thinker. I wasn't all that smart like Hioshi, but I could think about different things.

Kazuya said that was my problem.

My thoughts went all over the place and sometimes I said stupid things out loud. I felt stupid for it, but looking at my teammates made me feel so much better.

Our shoes hit branches as we sped through the bright spring leaves in silence. I glanced at Akira, who seemed to be lost in thought as he ran, a smirk plastered on his face almost eternally. It hardly left his face, meaning he was always mischievous. Kazuya said Akira looked most like our late father, but certainly didn't dress like it.

Akira liked wearing these dark loose fitting hoodies with bandages wrapped around the elbows to match his many-pocketed shorts to go along with his tightly fit shoes. His headband was crooked on his head, brushing his bangs up over his face.

Nero dressed a little more… I don't know, better, I guess. Wearing a black open cloak that had a maroon fringe, the sleeves torn at the bicep and a pair of gray pants, deep purple flames climbing the legs. He also had bandages wrapped around his right arm to the elbow… He never took them off and never told me what was underneath them, so I never asked. On his other arm, he wore a black stubbed band around his elbow that was chained to a black cuff around his wrist. He said it signified the bondage he has with our village. I respected that. He also carried a very interesting weapon. A maul that he kept strapped to his back. I once asked him if it was heavy and he just grinned at me and said he would lift the world for me, so I stopped asking.

As for my brother, Kazuya, Akira was constantly being lectured by him. Kazuya acted like a father to my brothers and I since our father… Was killed when we were young. He was a tall guy with deep black hair, hints of bluish purple in there, and it was spiked off to the right, save for a random long strand near his bangs on the left. He was strong and was the perfect leader for us, even if he was always getting after Akira, pushing me past my limits, and basically smacking Nero around…

Arriving at the gates of Konohagakure, Kazuya was waiting for us, dressed in his Sand Jounin uniform with another Jounin from the Leaf, who kept puffing smoke from his cigarette. It reminded me of Nero and I almost gagged when we stopped by them under a cloud of smoke.

"So, this is your team? Nice to meet ya! Name's Sarutobi Asuma!" He greeted. Nero and Akira just stared at him. I frowned.

"Tsukuyomi Ruriko." I responded to his greeting and elbowed Akira, who blinked and laughed nervously.

"Tsukuyomi Akira." He answered. Nero stayed silent until Kazuya smacked him in the back of the head, making him yelp out his name. Asuma chuckled, took a drag on his cigarette, then puffed it out. Nero was staring at the cigarette like a baby did candy. I made a mental note to hit him for that too.

"Well, come in and register. I've got your papers and everything." Asuma said with a grin. Kazuya smiled back, looking at little tired when he did so. I could tell he was exhausted from traveling with a night's sleep. He wanted to get here early so we would have time to mingle, but I could tell it had taken a toll on him.

After departing with Asuma, Kazuya was leading us through the village, which was actually pretty cool. The heavy scent of food wavered through the air, torturing my stomach. I wanted to ask for food, but Kazuya would probably whine about it, so I stayed silent. That's when I remembered Nero staring at Asuma's cigarette and hit him for it. He yelped.

"What was that for?" He cried, holding the back of his head as Akira laughed out loud.

"For acting like a juvenile delinquent." I responded flatly.

"You're one to talk, Ruriko." Kazuya mumbled to me. I looked up at him.

"At least I don't smoke and drink and do bad things like him." I stated, pointing. Nero's eye twitched and he was trying to force a smile, but it was epically failing. Akira was still laughing. The rest of the walk was quiet as Kazuya registered the hotel. He had just enough ryo to get two rooms. I got my own… The issue was Kazuya sharing a room with the boys, which immediately broke out in argument, which was pretty funny to watch if you think about it.

"I am so not sleeping with him!" Akira protested first, pointing a finger at Nero and hitting him in the nose. Nero slapped his hand away, clamping a hand over his nose and glaring back at him.

"Yea, really. He's a pain in the ass." He agreed. Kazuya glared down at them, like some kind of vulture.

"We're sharing because it's all the money I have! Do I look like I'm made of money?"

"You could be!" Akira yelled back stupidly, earning a sweat-drop from Nero, Kazuya, and I. I loved my brother very much, but he could be so stupid sometimes. However, that was that. Kazuya declared that they would share a room while I got my own, even though Akira said he'd rather sleep in the same room with me than with him and Nero. That didn't go over well either. I thought it was a little silly. I wouldn't mind sleeping in the same room with Akira…

He mumbled secrets in his sleep.

Hioshi told me since he taped Akira sleeping one time.

Getting settled in wasn't so hard… Kazuya even let us go out so we could get to know the village. The first place on our list of visits was somewhere with food, which wasn't very hard to find. We found a nice little ramen shop and blew off some of Nero's money.

"This ramen is actually pretty good…" I finally said as I finished a second bowl. Akira raised an eyebrow.

"We could tell. You ate that so fast, I missed your first bite." He commented, just finishing his first bowl. Nero had barely touched his, leaning on his elbow and watching me.

"What else can you do with your mouth?" He asked with a wide grin. I stared at him.

"Disgusting!" Akira cried, glaring at Nero. I smirked. It was fun having Akira around when Nero was trying to flirt. He acted like such a child sometimes. After our lunch, we headed to the training field… Where our troubles began…

Nero and Akira were ranting about Kazuya's behavior as we came to the training grounds, only to find it was occupied. Not by Leaf Shinobi, however. These shinobi seemed to be from the Rain Village.

The first one was a short, lanky boy with slicked back black hair and a spider web of scars in the corner of his right eye. His eyes were very pale red, almost pink. He wore a pair of baggy black pants, but that was it. His chest was tattooed with spider webs with a spider crawling to his neck. I thought it was disgusting. I hated spiders.

The second shinobi was a female with red hair in a bob cut, her eyes mismatched blue and green. She wore a simple deep blue jumpsuit with knee high black boots. She had a twin, a boy, wearing a black shirt with fishnet long sleeves and a red band around his head to match his pants. None of them looked friendly when we came either.

"So, you're joining the Chuunin Exams, huh?" The spider boy asked, hearing Akira shout. Akira looked up, frowning.

"Yea, so what's it to you?" He demanded. I glared at him for being a smart ass, but he ignored me. The spider boy smirked at Akira tauntingly.

"We're joining too. Get ready to cry because we're the best in our village." He responded.

"Then how come you're not Chuunin already?" Nero dared to ask. I glared at him, but he only elbowed my shoulder. I looked at the spider boy, who looked right at me.

"And what's your name, kiddie?" He grinned, showing off rows of sharpened teeth. I stared at him blankly for a moment.

"It's rude not to introduce yourself first." I muttered. He was still smirking at me.

"Name's Hajin. My teammates are Zoki and Ayano… How about now, kiddie?" He asked. I was tempted to rush it, get it across that I was not a 'kiddie'. I could kick ass as well as my teammates.

"My name," I said, cutting off Akira who was about to answer, "Is Tsukuyomi Ruriko. This is Tsukuyomi Akira and Nero… You're pretty cocky for someone who's so short." Akira and Nero both looked at me as if I stepped on a landmine. Hajin stared at me, then slowly smirked again.

"You're cute for a kid. How old are you? Ten?"

"Thirteen, jackass."

"And such a mouth for a kid… He your brother?" He looked at Akira, who glared.

"What's it to ya?" Akira demanded icily. Nero had instinctively grabbed my arm when Hajin said 'cute', as if he were trying to show he was possessive. If Kazuya was here, he'd smack his head and Hajin's heads together like melons. Hajin took a step at Akira, but I spoke up.

"Back off, shorty. I'm the one smart-mouthing you." I stated.

"Ruriko!" Nero and Akira both said this at the same time. Hajin grinned at me.

"I hate hurting girls… But for you, I'll make an exception." He said and barely had time to do anything before I had a hand sign in one hand, the other pointed at him. Hajin's eyes flashed in time for a spark of electricity to burst from my fingers, catching Hajin on the cheek and making him jump back a step. Where the electricity had sliced him, a thin scratch began to seep blood down his chin and the skin was slightly charred around the edges. He glared at me.

"Ruriko!" Akira cried, exasperated. Nero frowned and jumped to attention when one of the twins moved forward. He reached round and tore his maul from its place, slamming it into the ground and making rubble flutter up. Akira and I jumped back as well as the opposite team. Nero eyed the twin that had moved, Zoki, who's mismatched eyes lifted.

"One more step and it won't be the ground I hit." He threatened, his voice had hardened and it made me uneasy. I hated Nero when he was really angry. He just wasn't himself. Hajin smirked from behind Zoki.

"Let it go… We'll battle them during the exams." Hajin said. Zoki seemed to obey. Nero frowned, swinging his maul back into place and folding his arms over his chest. Hajin grinned at us.

"Well… At least I know his weakness… As for you two… I'll figure that out soon enough." He said, then whirled around and shot off with Zoki and Ayano at his tail. I frowned.

"What a jerk." I stated.

"Ruriko! Why did you antagonize him?" Akira demanded angrily. I stared at him.

"You should've left that to us…" Nero muttered. I rolled my eyes, folding my arms over my chest.

"I can do what I want, when I want. You guys are not in charge of me. You guys started it, I added to it, he ended it. I'm pretty disappointed in both of you myself." I retorted.

"What did we do?" Nero and Akira cried in unison.

"You," I said, pointing at Nero, "Showed him your stupid weakness, so now he'll know what to do. And you," I looked at Akira, "You're the one who started it by being mouthy, putting on a bad example for me. You both suck." I was a little peeved that I always got the blame. Even so, Akira relaxed a little.

"Yea… You're right… Sorry about that." He sighed at last. Nero paused, looking at my glare as I waited for an apology too. He slowly smiled and I had to admit… His crooked smile was pretty cute.

"Sorry, Ruriko. I was out of line." He said. I nodded.

"That's right…. Now let's get to training!" I announced.

TO BE CONTINUED… SHORT PARAGRAPH FOR NEXT CHAPTER:

"Your name is Sakura?" Ruriko asked, looking at the pink-haired kunochi, who sat in the hot tub next to her. Sakura smiled.

"Yea. You must be Ruriko. Lee told me about you."

"Oh… The weird looking one?"

"Yea… It's too bad you guys didn't come the first round of Chuunin Exams… I had some pretty good teammates." Sakura sighed, looking sad for a moment. Ruriko frowned.

"Who were they?"

"… Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

"NOOOOOOO! IT'S NOT TRUE! I DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE!" Akira screamed, clasping his hands over his ears as the world around him shook.

"Akira! Akira, calm down!" Nero yelled, but it was useless as Hajin laughed out loud, his fingers controlling ever chakra string he had connected to the youngest Tsukuyomi brother…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: I am redoing Shadows of Heroes! I am welcoming OC profiles back in. If you were in the original SoH and updated your sent-in character bios, please PM before the next chapter is out, or else I will use them the way they were sent in! Please and thank you!**

**Note: To yaoi fans who may read this, I will also update my yaoi as well. Just give me time…**


	2. Chapter 2

**This took forever for me to update. O-o Had to keep rewriting it…**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs, except:**

**The Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Hajin**

**Ayano**

**Zoki**

**A/N: I was about to put a warnings sign here…. ;D**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Two: **Uneasiness About the Exams**

Training didn't last as long as I thought… Thank the gods. I was way too tired for it. I found myself tossing my things onto my bed. I had only brought so many weapons, a couple kunai, a few shuriken, and one of those spiffy daggers with the hooks on the sides. Otherwise, I was confident in my ninjutsu.

I paused to glance out the window. There was a lot of people outside, celebrating the upcoming Chuunin Exams. Bright lanterns hung on every shop and apartment building, people were squished in crowds. I was tempted to go investigate. Kazuya did say mingling with the opponents was a good thing.

I picked up my dark gray vest, tore the zipper up half way and strapped on my headband accompanied by my kunai pouch around my waist. I headed out the door, peeking down the hallway and the sound of yelling. I could recognize Akira's and Nero's voices. It made me smirk.

They were such babies about sharing rooms. I slipped out of my room, shutting the door and heading down the hallway, my shoes making a soft thud noise on the wood. I easily walked by their room without being noticed and hopped down the steps. Night was a lot cooler here as I met with a soothing gust of wind when I stepped outside.

People were shouting and cheering from both sides of the streets, others laughing and telling jokes. It was a cozy atmosphere. I started walking down the path, checking my pouch for money to find that I still had some of the money that Nero lent me.

He wasn't supposed to be sharing his money, mind you, but he always gave me money… I didn't ask why, though, I already had a hunch. I had to squeeze between couples and families to find a nice shop selling little glazed pastries. Normally I hated sweets, but the happy mood just put me in the mood for sweets.

I ended up eating them before I could even put them in the bag to take with me, but oh well. It just meant they were really- I whipped around and smacked right into a green back.

Yea, it was green and rubbery. I leapt back, wincing and this weird looking Konoha kid whipped around with a wide grin.

"I am sorry! Am I in your way? My name is Rock Lee!" He talked so fast I wondered if he was on something, but managed to stare at him with a straight face.

"Uhm… Name's Tsukuyomi Ruriko… Uh, not really. I don't know where I'm going." I muttered. He grinned.

"Would you like me to show you around? It is fun, particularly during the festivals!" He pointed out quite literally, thrusting his finger in the air matter-of-factly. I knew I shouldn't of been staring, but how can you not stare a kid this weird? He was dressed in a bright green jumpsuit and his hair was just- No. I did smile, though, as nicely as I could.

"Uh, sure, why not?" I asked. And that's how I got my tour of Konohagakure. I was being led by some weird green beast, who kept yelling almost everything he said, making some heads turn. It was a little awkward, but having someone like that around is actually pretty nice.

"You said your name was Ruriko, yes?" Lee asked as we walked through the crowds. I nodded. Lee grinned as he seemed to contemplate something. In a matter of seconds, he was hopping in front of me, thrusting a finger in my face.

"I challenge you to run ten laps around Konoha! No, wait-"

"Hold up," I interrupted, getting as loud as him, feeling my eye twitch in annoyance, "You can't be serious!" Lee blinked, dropping his raised fists to his sides.

"Why would I be joking?" He asked obliviously. I twitched and rolled my eyes, folding my arms over my chest.

"Look, uh-"

"Lee."

"Lee. I'm confident in my abilities and all, but there's no way in stinking hell I would ever run more than one lap around this village."

"Aww, why not? It is a training exercise!"

"Why'd ya think I ditched my teammates back at the hotel? I'm not the training type." I responded with a huff. Lee grinned.

"So, you are saying you can beat me in these exams?" He asked curiously. I winced.

"Ah, I never-"

"It is a bet! I bet you that if I become a Chuunin before you, you must run fifteen laps around Konoha! If you win, then I will run a hundred laps around Konoha!" Lee yelled excited, stomping both his feet like some kind of military man. I sweat dropped, opening my mouth and holding up my finger to negotiate this, but he was already babbling incoherently about it.

Oh great. I hope not all Konoha shinobi are like this or else this whole situation is going to be one big pain in the-

"Lee! Hey, Lee!" I blinked and looked up as a dark-haired kid in a maroon jumpsuit with stripes on the sides came walking over. Lee perked up even more and waved frantically, almost hitting himself in the head.

"Daisuke! Daisuke, have you met Ruriko yet? She and I made a bet for whoever becomes Chuunin, they must run laps around Konoha!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, even when Daisuke was right in front of us. Daisuke raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Did you?" He asked. I sweat dropped.

"Uh, I never agreed to anything. He's just getting in way over his head…" I muttered. Daisuke laughed and thrust a hand out.

"Name's Yagani Daisuke! I take it you're here for the Chuunin Exams then." He took my hand instead of waiting for me to shake his. I just shrugged.

"Yea, but so far, it's just been a huge hassle." I muttered.

"Perk up," Lee whooped, "Becoming Chuunin is a great honor! Why, we can be just as excellent as Shikamaru!" Daisuke seemed to pout at this, folding his arms over his chest.

"Shikamaru doesn't even do anything." He pointed out. Lee paused to rethink his cheer, then grinned anyway.

"He usually does! Well, if his mom gets him up." He and Daisuke both seemed to shudder at the mention of this Shikamaru's mother. I felt out of the loop, so I just sweat dropped.

"So, anyway," I drawled slowly, "About that so-called bet, Lee, I don't think I can-"

"Ruriko!" I heard Akira yell, approaching with Nero. I twitched.

"Damn it, can't I finish a damn sentence without someone interrupting me?" I yelled, making Lee and Daisuke both jump.

"Wow! Such a loud voice! You were quieter before." Lee commented.

"I'll say!" Daisuke whistled. I was still twitching, glaring at Akira, who was approaching with a smirk and Nero wearing his usual guarded expression.

"Don't be so loud," Akira ranted, "It's obnoxious. And who're your nice friends here?" I rolled my eyes, folding my arms over my chest and looking in the other direction now.

"They're names are-"

"I'm Rock Lee! And this is Yagani Daisuke!" Lee announced, giving a little salute. Daisuke smirked, putting a fist on his waist before glancing at Akira.

"And you?" He asked.

"Name's Tsukuyomi Akira. See ya met my baby sister!" With that, Akira threw his arms around me and jerked me into a totally random hug, squishing me. I winced, trying to wiggle away.

"Akira! Get off me!" I protested, my mouth muffled by his arm. Akira snuggled his face against mine before letting go and letting me breath.

"Smooth job, forgetting to introduce Nero." I snapped, rubbing my neck in annoyance. Akira blinked, then gave a shrug before grinning crookedly at Nero, who rolled his eyes.

"Nero's not much for conversation. He's stuck up." He told Daisuke and Lee, who stared at him. Nero took this chance to give Akira a harsh smack upside the head, glaring pointedly at him. I sighed, folding my arms back over my chest and looking down at my feet. Akira could be so mean sometimes, even if he didn't mean to. He was just… A little self-obsessed.

"Well," Lee declared, "It's nice to meet you, Nero! It's a pleasure to have you and your teammates enter the Chuunin Exams!" He thrust his hand out for Nero to shake, only earning a flat stare.

"Uh, what he said." Daisuke agreed with a nod, thrusting his thumb at Lee. Nero seemed uncomfortable. He wasn't used to people being so friendly around him and I could tell he wanted to go back to the hotel and hide under his blankets.

What a baby.

"Did I tell you about the bet-"

"For God's sake! There is no bet!" I yelled, feeling a vein pound in my forehead. Akira's eyes lit up, seeing as Akira was into the gambling thing. Reminded me of the rumors of the Hokage.

"What kind of bet?" He asked curiously. Lee puffed out his chest and began to recite and very dramatic and totally not true explanation for the bet that I am not partaking in. Daisuke and Nero sweat dropped.

"A bet?" Nero asked at last, glancing at me as I stood between him and Daisuke.

"Uh, don't ask. I'm not doing any bet." I muttered.

"Why not? Afraid you'll lose?" Daisuke asked with a smug grin. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I just don't like making bets just in case I _do_ lose…" I drawled.

"So, yea, you're just afraid you'll lose." Daisuke summed up with a nod, touching his knuckles to his chin thoughtfully. I sweat dropped.

"I put it more loosely, you're just being deadpan." I responded flatly. Nero averted his eyes lazily, running a hand through his hair as he shoved his other hand in his cloak pocket.

"What's supposed to happen if you lose?" He asked innocently.

"He's going to make me run ten laps around Konoha." I replied, the annoyance in my voice seeping like blood through a cut. Nero sweat dropped. Daisuke laughed.

"Only ten?"

"Are all you guys freaks?" I demanded, stomping my foot. Daisuke waved his hands innocently as if to surrender.

"No, no. I'm just saying that normally Lee would make a bigger challenge, like a hundred or something." He answered, his eyes getting a little wide. Nero sighed.

"Ruriko doesn't learn from training. She learns from experiences and sleep. She's a lost cause." He answered. Daisuke laughed. I would've gotten mad, but I saw a smile wedge onto Nero's face, signaling that he was getting a little more comfortable around Daisuke. Nero had a lot of trouble making friends back at our village because he was shy back then and really reserved, quite frankly, he was a bit of a scaredy cat too.

It got me to thinking… I really hoped that the Chuunin exams were going to include being super social or something along those lines. Nero wasn't good with meeting new people. He mostly just followed Akira and I around, rarely talking to our friends. I wondered if Kazuya ever thought about trying to improve Nero's social skills, even though it'd probably be pointless.

**LATER…**

I felt so much better when I sank into the bathtub back at the hotel. My feet were killing me from walking around all night with my teammates as well as some new friends. I learned that Lee's teammates, Neji and Tenten, were hard workers too, but more subtle about it. Daisuke's teammates, Sora and Mai, were into the training thing too, but they seemed very different from Daisuke…

I was glad that Akira and Nero were doing more of the talking and I just tagged along to listen in on their conversations. I was thankful as well that Nero nor Akira spilled any secrets about what goes on behind the scenes of our team.

I paused to stare at the soapy water in the tub. If that had happened, Akira would've gotten into a lot of trouble… He could be such a blabber mouth. I frowned, closing my eyes and tilting my head sideways thoughtfully. He's already lost a lot of our family's trust, even the Kazekage seemed weary of him now.

Ever since-

"Ruriko! Ruriko, you in here?" Speak of the devil and he shall appear. I flicked my eyes at the door, watching it open a tad before it slammed shut. I winced.

"What the hell do you want, Akira?" I demanded, sitting up in the tub. Akira laughed on the other side of the door.

"Almost walking in on you while you're bathing~ Anyway, I came to tell you that Kazuya wants us all to have lights out in ten minutes. We need sleep because we're getting up bright and early to- You guessed it! Train! Practice! Work hard!"

"Ohhh, gods. Thanks for the great news." I muttered and sank down in the tub to my mouth. I heard Akira snickering. I rolled my eyes and slammed my fist down on the side of the tub, making a loud thud that made Akira burst into laughter before calming down.

"Say…. Ruriko?" He asked seriously now, probably leaning on the door, making it creak. I frowned, sitting up again.

"What?" I asked. I listened to him breathing on the other side of the door before he sighed and spoke.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm not gonna let you get killed or anything during these exams." He stated. I lifted my eyes to the door, frowning.

"Psh… I'm not going to die."

"Yea, I know that… But people have died during these things before. I'm just telling you right now that if you get in a situation where you think your life is in danger, just yell my name and I'll be there in a flash, got it?" He asked. I sighed, lolling my head back on the edge of the tub with a smirk.

"Yea. I got it. Same goes for you, Akira. You and Nero. If you two babies need any help, I'm there before you can even call my name." I responded. I heard a huff.

"I really can't have a serious conversation with you, can I?" He demanded.

"Nope! Now get out so I can change for crying out loud. The water's getting cold." I announced and stood up, the water sloshing around in the tub. I heard Akira sigh, but I didn't hear his footsteps move away. I sighed, rolling my eyes as I grabbed my plush teal towel, wrapping it around myself and brushing my hair out only to pull it up into a loose bun, thick strands falling to my shoulders.

"Ruriko?" Akira's voice asked. I was looking in the mirror, seeing the door open a tad.

"Stay out," I commanded, "I thought I told you to leave anyway."

"I know," Akira replied, ignoring my first comment and opening the door carelessly, "But I'm getting nervous."

"About the exams?" I asked, frowning as I glanced at him in the mirror. Akira shrugged a little, his eyes on the floor and thankfully not at me.

"I'm just nervous that they'll get as tough as Daisuke said…" He replied. I remembered that Daisuke had pointed out, during our walk to the hotel, that the exams this time around were going to be a lot harder than last times.

"It's fine, Akira. You need to quit doing that. You and Nero were both so confident when we got here. And I know we're not gonna die or anything big like that… I mean, really. You two worked really hard before and during our trip here. I've seen you two spar. Nero's taijutsu has gotten really awesome and your use of genjutsu far exceeds that of Hioshi's, which is really saying something." Even as I spoke, I saw Akira looking a little down hearted. I sighed and dropped my hands to the sink, then turned to face him.

"Don't give me such a look, Tsukuyomi Akira, or I'll challenge you to a fight just to prove that you're good." I commanded. Akira smirked, rolling his eyes away toward the tub.

"Che. As if. I'm not going to try my hardest against you."

"Oh yea? Why not?"

"Because I don't wanna hurt you! Duh!"

"Aha! So you are good!" I laughed, thrusting a finger at him. Akira smiled, his eyes locking with mine.

"You're so dumb, Ruriko." He stated. I smirked, leaning by the sink.

"You're so hypocritical." I replied, pleased that I could put him in a good mood. I really had talent in that department. Or so it usually seemed. I didn't want to be overconfident in my abilities, nor under confident. I knew my strong points and my weak points.

"Now get out," I waved my hand at him, "I've already let you come in here and you're not sticking around either." Akira laughed and stuck out his tongue childishly.

"Eww, why would I want to?"

"Akira!" I warned, picking up a shampoo bottle. Akira laughed again.

"Oh, I'm so scared of a shampoo bottle about the size of your brain!" He taunted. I threw it, but he ducked and raced into the bedroom. I scooped up the bottle, running into the room after him, throwing it again just as he opened the door to the hallway.

Just my luck that the shampoo bottle collided with Nero's chest. I winced. Akira bolted past him, laughing as loud as he could.

"Haha!" He yelled.

"Akira!" I yelled, then stopped to realize why Nero was staring at me, barely keeping his grip on the shampoo bottle.

I was still in my towel.

"You pervert! Shut the door!" I shouted angrily. Nero grinned, waving the shampoo bottle.

"Don't you need this?" He asked. I stomped up to him, snatching the bottle and slamming the door shut, locking it.

"You guys suck!" I barked. I heard Nero laughing on the other side of the door.

"Haha~ I seriously needed a camera! Didn't you brothers ever teach you to not come to the door naked?"

"I'm not naked! Well, I am, but I have a towel on! Shut up and go away before I tell Kazuya!"

"Hahaha, you're so cute, Ruriko~ In some kind of dangerous killer way~"

"I'm giving you to the count of three to get our ass away from here before I kick it!"

"If it'll get you into the hallway, it's worth it."

"NERO!"

**Next Day…**

I was glad to be in bed. Hotel beds were my absolute favorite and always smelled clean and crisp. I was cuddled up under the blankets in a silky black night gown and had the pillows on and under my head. It was the perfect way to sleep. It was probably about six in the morning, however, when my lovely sleep was ruined by loud banging on my door. I winced and groaned, throwing my blankets off as well as pillow. I rolled over, glaring at the door hatefully.

"What'd ya want?" I barked.

"Ruriko, it's time to get up! Training time!" I heard Kazuya announce, sounding cheerful. I rolled my eyes and flopped back on my bed, tearing the blankets up over my head and snuggling back under the covers.

"Ruriko!" Kazuya's voice turned into more of a sweet warning. I groaned and squirmed under the blankets and pillows.

"Dieeeee!" I wailed and buried my face into the blankets and pillows. I got my response moments later when Kazuya apparently go the key from the manager, getting into my room. He threw the blankets and pillows off, ordering Akira to open the window and let in the blinding sunlight.

"Wakey, wakey, Ruriko!" Kazuya sang as he tore the last blanket off, smiling down at me oh so innocently as I glared daggers back at him. I dug my nails into the sheets.

"What time is it?" I demanded.

"About six Oh somethin'." Akira announced. I glared even more at Kazuya, throwing myself into a sitting position as he jumped back off the bed with a sweet smile.

"Nice night gown." Came Nero's comment from the doorway. I glared at him, then swung my legs over the side of the bed. Akira, however, wanted to move faster and grabbed my arm, tearing me forward with a loud whoop that made my head ache terribly.

"Woo! Hurry up, Ruriko! Training time! We get to brush up on our ninja skills!" He sang. I stumbled when he tore me to my feet and jerked my hand away to hold my hands over my ears.

"I hate you guys!" I yelled, earning a sweat drop from Akira. Kazuya sighed, shaking his head.

"Doesn't matter. Get dressed, girly, so we can get to the training grounds. I want you to show me what you guys can do since I last watched you spar!" He announced, then shooed Akira and Nero away. I groaned and fell back on the bed.

I officially hated Chuunin Exams.

I eventually got dressed in my red jumpsuit, but instead of pants at the bottom, it was a pair of shorts with a skirt layer over it. I zipped my dark gray vest halfway and hooked my kunai pouch to the headband around my waist. I jerked my shoes on tiredly, glancing outside to see the sun glaring at its hottest.

Ew, I was going to sweat.

I sighed and stood up, tying my hair into a loose ponytail, letting my somewhat short bangs fall over the right side of my face. I eventually left the room, meeting my team downstairs where we headed for the training grounds. There were only a few people in the streets now, some cleaning up after the partying last night. I yawned a little, rubbing at my hidden eye sleepily, clenching my teeth together. I was getting hungry, but Kazuya said we weren't allowed to have breakfast until we were done training… Which is pretty stupid if you ask me! I thought food was like fuel for our energy, not some stinking reward! Even so, Kazuya ignored me.

When we arrived at the training field, Kazuya had us line up together. He had on that serious expression of his that meant no joking around or we're screwed.

"All right," Kazuya began, putting his hands on his hips, "I want you all to come at me with everything you got. First one to get me down wins. If none of you can get me down, I may just have to pull you out of the exams." Our jaws dropped.

"That's not a training exercise!" Akira protested.

"Yea, that's more like cheating us out of a good trip!" Nero agreed.

"That sucks." Was my deadpan comment. Kazuya smiled, but it looked a little like a testy smile.

"I'm all serious, guys, so try and take me down. If you can't even take your own sensei on, then you don't deserve to be in the exams… Am I clear?" He asked. He was replied with muttered 'yes, sirs'. Kazuya nodded.

"Good. Let's start this out as simple hide-and-seek… I'll count to ten and you all have a chance to scatter… One." He closed his eyes and covered his ears, but it was mostly to tease us. We could tell he could feel our movement. Akira was the first to shoot off into the trees. Nero sighed and shot after him. I waited until Kazuya yelled eight and zoomed into the trees.

This was going to be the worst training session EVER.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I lied in the last chapter. ;D My ideas for this fan fiction totally changed, so yup! Sorry about that. Don't kill me. Anyway, I'll be slow in introducing OCs and I apologize! D': I have so many entries and still more to come. lol~ So don't think I'm abandoning your OCs, cuz I'm not! I'm just taking my time bringing them in. -shifty eyes- Anyway! Thanks so very much for reading and your reviews are totally spiffy and loved!**


	3. Chapter 3

Yea, it took me forever to get this chapter done and I'm sorry if it's not super great. D':

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced, except:

The Tsukuyomi Clan

Nero

Hajin

Ayano

Zoki

Daiki

Botan

Miyuki

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Chapter Three: I Saw the Devil…!**

"So, how the hell are we going to bring him down?" Akira asked as we hunched in a circle on the same branch, which surprised me since it didn't break.

"He's your brother," Nero muttered, kneeling on the branch, "Don't you know his weaknesses?"

"Even we don't share our weaknesses sometimes." Akira huffed stubbornly, sitting on his hunches with his elbows resting on his knees. I was the only one sitting crossed legged nice and comfortably, my arms crossed.

"We know his strengths," I pointed out, "He uses water and wind elements. Just don't use anything that can strengthen those. So, Akira, don't use any of your wind attacks and Nero, don't use fire attacks because he'll easily douse them. There's no point in me using water attacks either…"

"So all we're left with is your guys' lightening attacks." Akira concluded strategically.

"Right." I agreed.

"How the hell does that help us, though? Kazuya's great with long range attacks." Akira groaned. Nero frowned, slowly getting to his feet.

"Hn, then we'll just have to have someone get close to him… Someone who's good with taijutsu and then someone else can attack him from behind, then we'll both depart so Ruriko can attack with her long-range." He explained.

"Nero," Akira stated confidently, "You're the best at taijutsu. Just face him head on. I'll get him from behind."

"Sounds easier said than done, though." Nero muttered. I stayed seated, looking up at them as they both stood.

"Kazuya will be able to push you back, though, Nero," I pointed out, "You're good at taijutsu, I'll admit that, but Kazuya's just as good at forcing people into a long-range situation…"

"So what do you suggest then?" Nero asked, folding his arms over his chest, his chains jingling. I stared at the chains for a moment thoughtfully, then glanced at Akira, who was glancing around the trees as if expecting Kazuya to jump us. I shrugged and pointed to Nero's arm bands with the chains.

"Those things," I said, "They jingle a lot when you move and that's how I know where you are when we train. What you need to do is take that thing off. Give it to Akira and he can distract Kazuya so you can come up behind him and give him a few good hits. You guys'll know when to jump back for my attack because I'm going to use one of the big ones… That sounds about right, yes?" Nero and Akira shared looks and nodded. Nero snapped the cuffs and chains off, tossing them to Akira, who easily snapped them on his bare arm before shooting off quickly. Nero unhooked his maul from its place on his back. He thrust his hand out to me to help me up.

"Good plan," Nero told me under his breath, "I'm surprised you weren't thinking of eating this time." I smirked at him.

"I was thinking of food… That's why I want to hurry this whole thing up." I replied. Nero smirked, then moved into place. I followed close behind him through the trees, then stopped to find a hiding place as Nero went ahead of me.

That's when Akira jumped out of his hiding place to Kazuya, who was just coming into the clearing. Kazuya whipped around and flung a kunai in Akira's direction. Akira easily ducked and swung his hand up, catching it by the hoop at the end of the handle, flinging it back. Kazuya dodged to the side, just as Nero came from the trees on that side. He slammed the maul's heavy side into the ground, causing the ground to rumble and crackle apart. Kazuya made a yelp sort of sound, not one to ever hide how he was feeling, and leapt into the air, doing a flip and landing on safe grounds.

Nero immediately went after him, swinging his weapon around. Kazuya barely managed to dodge that hit and was making hand signs faster than Nero could jump back. I saw Nero curse as Kazuya shouted the name of the jutsu, being the show off that he was.

"Water Style! Hurricane Bullets!" Globs of water seemed to seep up from the ground, forming huge sharp shapes before hurling themselves at Nero, who winced and leapt further back. I saw Akira's hands moving quickly and he used a wind jutsu to block the attack from Nero, who gave him a quick nod before bursting through the shield and bringing his maul down again. This time, I saw Nero make a hand sign with one hand while shouting.

"Lightening Style! Thunder Clap!" He stole my favorite jutsu, the jerk. I smirked anyway watching as his maul collided with the earth, shaking it worse than before and sending a million shocks of blue electricity shooting through the air and along the ground. Kazuya jumped up, doing a back flip, only to duck as Akira swung his leg out to kick him in the back.

Nero then pushed off the handle of his maul, skidding across the dirt and kicking Kazuya good and hard in the chin, knocking him backwards. Akira swung his foot upwards into Kazuya's back, sending him into the air.

Unfortunately, the duet worked for only a bit before Kazuya burst into a puff of smoke, mud falling to the ground in clumps. I winced when I heard a sloshing sound behind me. I ducked as an explosion of water shot over my head. I whipped around to see Kazuya jump from the trees, a smirk on his face.

"I figured you'd come up with something like that, Ruriko! You never want to fight head on!" He announced and made a few hand signs.

"Water Style! Sea Needles!" Water seemed to take the shape of thin little senbon shapes, shooting at me. I winced and made quick hand signs, sliding backwards off the branch so I was falling. It was gonna hurt when I landed, but oh well! I bit into my lip as I finished the last hand sign, thrusting my hands upwards to release a huge flow of black fog.

It swirled around and coated the training field. I was expecting to hit the ground, but I found myself falling into Nero's arms. I winced and glared at him for it, but he was too busy training to make a smartass comment, thank the gods. He easily let me down and Akira joined us to look up through the dark fog.

"Nice job, Ruriko. That'll buy us some time." Akira muttered.

"Got any plan Bs?" Nero asked me. I frowned, studying the trees, listening carefully. The only sound I could pick up was the whispering of the black fog.

"I got it." I stated and made quick hand signs.

"Ruriko…!" Akira protested, watching my hands zoom through the hand signs. I smirked and ended it off, by thrusting my hands upwards.

"Lightening Style! Electrical Storm!" Spider webs upon spider webs of electricity spun outwards like crawling fingers, shooting through the trees and piercing the fog, causing it to shrink back. Even Nero flinched at my side when a spark of electricity lit up in his face.

"You're askin' for it." He muttered to me. I shrugged.

"He said it was training." I replied. A loud snap made us all jerk our heads upwards to see Kazuya burst from the flurry of electricity and fog, causing it all to flood away from him as if he was some kind of demon. I could see black scorch marks on his body and clothes, indicating that I had gotten him with my jutsu.

But it wasn't over.

No way.

Kazuya was making hand signs quickly.

"Scatter!" Akira ordered and we all leapt away as an explosion of water roared toward the ground. I skidded across the dirt, grimacing.

"Ruriko! Use a jutsu!" Akira yelled. I was already on it, making hand signs and sending several bolts of electricity zooming across the field. Kazuya easily dodged them, ducking and jumping as he made a hand sign.

"Wind Style! Tornado of Death!" I winced as the wind around us started to pick up, whipping at us and bringing about a flurry of cuts all over us. Pain ripped through my head more than the stinging cuts on my body. I hated wind jutsu… I noticed Nero keeping himself easily in place by jamming his maul into the ground. Akira was wincing, covering his face with his arm, which was practically getting shredded to strips of flesh. I grimaced and looked up as Kazuya released the jutsu, putting his hands on his hips.

"I think it's time you guys gave up." Kazuya stated, folding his arms over his chest. I blinked and stomped my foot, thrusting my finger at him.

"I'm sorry about this, but shut the hell up, Kazuya! We're not finished yet!" I yelled and slapped my hands together quickly. Kazuya gave me a weird look before quickly moving backwards as I held out y hands, allowing for another electrical storm to burst forth. He easily managed to dodge them, but missed when Nero raced forward, punching him in the gut. Kazuya winced and flew back, slamming into a tree hard enough to send bark flying. I beamed.

Wow, that felt pretty good, even if Nero was the one doing the hitting. Akira was just staring now, his useless arm dangling at his side. Nero went at Kazuya again, who was ducking most of the blows, getting hit a few times. I wondered for a split second if Kazuya was holding back on us. Eventually, Nero had Kazuya on his back, his maul easily rested on his shoulder.

Again, I wondered how strong Nero really was.

"We win. You're down."

**Later…**

Kazuya gave us money to get ourselves some food for beating him during the training session and we soon found ourselves back at the dinky ramen shop in town.

"Well, this is fun," Akira ranted, wincing as he leaned on his bandaged up arm, "We get to go into the Chuunin Exams with a bunch of band aids on us!" I rolled my eyes and continued to slurp my noodles loudly, watching the juice jump over the bowl. Nero just stared into his half empty bowl tiredly. Akira always had the energy to open his big mouth…

"Will you shut your trap already?" I demanded as I finished my third bowl and slamming it down, making Akira jump a little. His expression screwed up into one of annoyance.

"You can't tell me you're not the slightest bit peeved." He insisted, stabbing his chopsticks into the counter. I frowned for a moment, then shrugged. So maybe I was a little pissed. Kazuya shouldn't have made us work that hard right before the exams!

"If you're going to whine about this, maybe we shouldn't even be here." Nero said at last. Akira spewed his ramen all over the counter, making me wince and jerk away from him and closer to Nero.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He yelled obnoxiously, slamming his fists on the table. He was attracted unwanted attention to us, so I just shrank down in my seat when Nero glared at Akira, clearly aggravated.

"If you think your arm getting torn up like that is bad, we should just drop out. Do you think the exams are gonna be easy? Akira, I hope you're not forgetting those jerks from the Rain Village… You think they'll stop because you said _Ow_?" He demanded. Akira frowned. I looked at Nero's expression and he really looked kind of peeved. I don't know if it was lack of sleep, like me, or if he was just tired of Akira complaining… Either way, it was kind of creepy.

"What about you, huh? I heard you mutter a few times. Think you can handle the chibi brat and his henchmen?" Akira challenged.

"Better than you." Nero threw back. They were both glaring, so I took this chance to grab them both by the back of their heads, clenching their hair in my fists before I slammed their heads together. Not hard enough to crack their skulls, duh, but enough to earn a yelp from each party.

"Shut up, ya babies! You're both stressed from the training exercise. Let's just go back to the hotel and get some rest, all right?" I demanded, folding my arms over my chest. Both Nero and Akira rubbed their heads, groaning and muttering 'whatevers'. I sighed and heaved myself to my feet, hopping off the stool, only to smash into somebody. I immediately leapt back because of an eerie feeling I got when I hit this person. I looked up to find myself staring at a rather tall shinobi. He hid under a dark purple hood, his dark aqua green shirt hanging at least a foot past his fingertips with a matching pair of dark purple pants that seemed to change to the color of his shirt somewhere near his knees. All I could see was the glow of his pure white snow eyes, only a black ring separating his iris from the white of his eye. Strands of pale teal hair was hanging in his face and his expression seemed almost blank. I couldn't stop myself from staring at him.

"Ruriko, speak!" Nero's voice snapped at me. I jumped. The guy in front of me smirked and he laughed the weirdest laugh I had ever heard. It was an odd combination of high-pitched and scratchy. It reminded me of a hyena's laugh.

"Hehehe~ Sorry, little girl. All Botan's fault. He apologies!" He giggled childishly, clapping his hidden hands together. I grimaced, getting a really bad vibe off him. His snow white eyes were glowing and I'm not kidding. However, a woman came up beside him. She wore her white headband around her eyes, her dark magenta hair cut in a bob, save for two long strands over her temples. She wore a flower printed white jacket that only covered her boobs and pair of white pants that were bunched up into her tall, high heeled boots. She didn't speak, though, and put a hand on this guy (I'm assuming his name was Botan)'s shoulder.

Botan jumped, giving a squeak and whipped around to see the woman, his eyes twinkling.

"Nya! Miyuki, you scared Botan…! Such a meanie face." He muttered, but was grinning all the same. The woman turned her face to me and I stiffened. Even though she had a headband over her eyes, I felt like she was piercing me with a hard glare.

"Let's get out of here." Akira muttered, tugging on my sleeve, pulling me off. Nero was coming after me, but Botan whipped back around and made an odd cat-like cry and grabbed onto Nero's sleeve, which in turn made Nero yelp out loud.

"Waitwaitwait! Don't leave Botan! He wasn't done talking to you!" He protested. I could feel Nero stiffen beside me as Botan gripped his sleeve, tugging like a child begging for attention.

"Botan really wants to talk to Nero, he's so cute! Look at him, Miyuki! Botan said he was cute, yes, yes?" Botan giggled. I could see a flash of hot pink on his face as he pulled at Botan's grip, not speaking. Botan's white eyes flashed as a sly grin crept across his face.

"So very cute, indeed… Botan wants to keep you, yes? Botan would feed you and cloth you and bath you and-"

"Botan, let him go." A voice ordered. Almost immediately, Botan gave a that hyena laugh and jumped away from Nero as if he had touched fire. The excitement and violent look in his eyes faded and he seemed to shut down as he hung beside Miyuki, making way for an older guy, about the same age as the woman.

His silver, gold hair was tied in a loose ponytail, his eyes a deep dark gray that matched his yukata like top and hakuma. He also wore a silver coat with black square flaps over his chest and upper back. He looked oddly familiar, especially his eyes, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I'm sorry," The new man said, seeing Nero's terrified expression, "He has trouble controlling himself sometimes… Did he harm you?" Nero wasn't speaking. I think he was too scared to talk, so I jumped in.

"He's fine, thanks, but next time keep your dog on a leash." I snapped. Akira flinched and Nero snapped out of his daze, his aqua green eyes going wide before wincing. The new man smirked and reached out, pulling up the short sleeve on Nero's cloak to reveal a red mark on his bicep where Botan had grabbed him. I stared in awe.

How did that get there? I could have sworn that guy didn't touch him, just his sleeve!

"Sorry again," The man placed his hand over Nero's bicep, "He's a disobedient pet sometimes…" He slowly removed his hand, the red spot completely gone. I stared and blinked before looking up at the man, who released Nero's arm gently. The man had an amazing healing power, that much I could tell. However, Nero didn't bother apologizing. Instead he just flinched like he was going to be smacked and gave my vest a tug.

"Let's get out of here." Nero whispered to me, turning his face away from the older shinobi.

"Nero! You should thank that guy for fixing your arm." Akira hissed at him, elbowing him. Nero shook his head vigorously and didn't even look at the guy, who was smiling at us calmly.

"Pardon my rudeness… My name is Daiki… These are my teammates, Miyuki and Botan…" The man greeted with a bow of his head.

"Name's Tsukuyomi Ruriko," I replied, watching his eyes twinkle, "This is Nero and my brother, Akira." Daiki smiled.

"Ruriko… That's a lovely name… It's a pleasure meeting you three… I take it you'll be taking the exams?" He asked. I didn't know if he was trying to flatter me or if he was being honest, so I ignored the compliment.

"Yea. What about you three? Aren't you a little old to be taking the exams?" I asked. Daiki chuckled.

"No, we're not here to take the exams… We're here to watch. We're big fans of the exams." He replied. I noticed that Botan was giggling to himself as if he were hiding a big secret. He was rudely elbowed by Miyuki.

"Well," Daiki announced with a big smile, "We'll be off then… We hope to see you soon." He bowed his head and started walking away. Miyuki and Botan followed close behind. My eyes flicked after them just in time to see Daiki grab a hold of Botan's hood, probably also grabbing a handful of hair with it. I frowned and looked at Nero, who was looking pretty shaken up.

"Nero, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Yea, you're acting like you saw the devil." Akira agreed with a slight grimace. Nero gripped his arms as if to hug himself.

"I did."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Kinda short… D': I've got ideas, but I'm having trouble how to work up to them, so just bear with me for a bit and then the juicy parts will come. :D! Ah, I rushed the ending, I noticed. Lol… I was excited to bring Botan in. o-o Making crazy Ocs is fun, gimme a break. :D! I'mma try and draw a better picture of him and post him up~ Anyway, thanks for reading, your OC entires are not forgotten, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! I am so much more proud of this. P: More OCs introduced in this chapter! Please enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own all the other OCs introduced in this series, except:**

**The Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Hajin**

**Zoki**

**Ayano**

**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE! The beginning of his chapter is a third person flash back and then goes to Nero's point of view! Just warning you all ahead of time!**

****

Chapter Four: **Meeting the Future**

"Get outta my way, stupid!" A little boy snapped, shoving the younger boy into a wall as he ran into the classroom. The smaller, abused boy winced and rubbed his shoulder, stayed outside the classroom door.

_If I go in there_, He thought with a shudder, _They're going to laugh at me… They'll make fun of me and push me around… I wanna go back home.._ He hugged himself for a split second before he heard the teacher coming to the door. Without a second thought, he was off down the hallway, his torn ninja shoes hitting the wooden floor of the academy as he huffed for air.

He ended up running outside into a little playground, only to find he wasn't the only one ditching class. His aqua green eyes widened as he skidded to a stop in the sand, staring at the two kids, who were staring back. The first was a boy about his age, but seemed to be shaky and nervous, hiding by a younger girl maybe a year or two younger. They both had very black hair and dressed in baggy clothes.

"Hey," The girl spoke up first, "I know you… Sensei introduced you last week, but you haven't been comin' to class!"

"I-I… I can't go to class." He managed to respond, squirming uncomfortably. The girl pouted, folding her arms over her chest in a stubborn huff.

"And why not?"

"Because! They're gonna make fun of me…"

"For what?" The girl demanded, hopping off her swing.

"I can't read…" The boy replied under his breath. The girl raised an eyebrow.

"That's all? Just cuz ya can't read? That's stupid! Tell me who's been pickin' on ya and I'll kick their butts!" She yelled, making the boy sweat drop. The boy who was hiding before shifted a little, looking at the newcomer shyly.

"What's your name again?" He asked quietly.

"Nero… What about you guys?" The boy responded. The girl grinned and hit her chest with her black gloved thumb.

"I'm Tsukuyomi Ruriko! And this is my scaredy cat big brother, Akira!" She introduced. Akira whined a little, but didn't say anything else as he pulled the front of his sweatshirt collar over his mouth as he blushed. Nero smiled a little and approached them, but a bit cautiously.

"Why can't ya read anyways?" Ruriko asked, looking Nero up and down seeing as he was taller than her. Nero tilted his head a little.

"I can't remember… I knew I knew how to read a long time ago… But I can't remember anymore, no matter how hard I try." He replied quietly.

"That sucks." Akira mumbled into his sweatshirt, clasping his hands under his chin. Nero smiled weakly and nodded in agreement. Ruriko pouted, folding her arms over her chest as she dramatically puffed her cheeks out.

"Ya don't need to read to be a kick butt ninja! The other boys are just jealous cuz you're so cute, that's why!" She stated. Nero turned pink.

"Whaaat?"

"That's right! All the other boys are dummies. You're nice… You don't try and push Akira in the dirt."

"I wouldn't do that… He hasn't done anything bad…" Nero murmured. Akira smiled shyly, blushing some more as he looked away behind his sweatshirt. Ruriko snapped her little fingers up at Nero's face.

"I has an idea!"

"Have, Ruriko." Akira put in.

"Have! I have an idea! Let's all go to class together. We'll be late, but then no one'll pick on ya cuz we're all together, ne?" Ruriko asked, beaming up at the newcomer. Nero only managed a nod before Ruriko grabbed both his and Akira's hands, leading the way to class.

"Ah, does she always act like this?" He asked Akira, who was stumbling to catch up.

"Uh huh… You've never seen her on chocolate…" The Tsukuyomi brother muttered. Nero sweat dropped. Ruriko dragged them to class, bursting the door open right in the middle of a session on the history of kunai.

"We're here!" She yelled in a squeaky voice. The sensei dropped his chalk and jaw, his eyes narrowing as he snapped his eyes on the clock, then back on the students.

"You're fifteen minutes late! Where were you three?" He demanded, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"I had to go potty." Ruriko lied smoothly, giving the teacher an innocent look. The whole class burst into laughter. Nero and Akira shared embarrassed looks before they were told to sit down, Ruriko sitting between them on the top row.

"Take out your books and turn to page 89, class." The sensei called, opening a book. Ruriko tossed her book onto the desk, throwing it open to page 89 and not even looking at it. She glanced at Akira, who was flipping pages slowly and carefully, then at Nero, who hadn't even opened his book.

"Well, open your book." She stated. Nero blinked, then looked at the cover of the book. The writing merely looked like little pictures to him, having no real meaning. Ruriko sighed and opened his book and pointed to the page.

"This page. These two? That says 89. Can you remember that?" She asked. Nero stared at the writing, then at Ruriko and nodded. Ruriko beamed.

"Good! See? It's not so hard…" She drawled. Nero just smiled weakly. He knew he would forget the meaning of the writing within a matter of minutes. As recess came about, so did the trouble.

"Hey, stupid! Don't just stand there like a dummy, use your feet!" The boy from earlier yelled at Nero, who quickly shrank out of the boy's way. Ruriko frowned and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt, jerking hard. The boy whipped around, probably expecting Nero, but found himself looking down at a little girl with her black hair in two loose pigtails, wearing a dark purple little tank top and a pair of matching pants. He smirked.

"What'd ya want?" He asked.

"Say sorry to Nero!" Ruriko ordered angrily. The boy blinked, then laughed out loud, attracting attention that only made Nero slump against a nearby wall to watch with a wince. He was expecting Ruriko to gulp and run with the amount of attention, but boy was he wrong…

"If you don't apologize, I'll eat your guts, you bully! I'm not kidding! I'll tear your ugly fat body into a enough pieces to end world hunger!" Ruriko shouted, pointing a finger up at the boy's astonished face.

"Ruriko!" Akira cried, jumping up at last from his place beside Nero, but it was too late. The boy went to shove Ruriko back, only to have Ruriko open her mouth and bite his hand.

"Owwww! SENSEI!" The boy screamed, jerking his hand away from Ruriko, who spat on the boy's shoe before stomping on it.

"Ruriko, cut it out!" Akira leapt forward, grabbing Ruriko by her shoulders and jerking her back. Ruriko grinned at the boy, who was flailing and yelling at her.

"Gross! She's like a dog!" He was yelling. Ruriko jerked way from Akira to jump on the boy in a flash. All the while, Nero could only stare with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. The girl had seemed innocent on first sight, but he was so off that it scared him. She was a cannibal, no doubt!

It took the nearby teachers some time to hear the hollering and screaming before they broke up the fight. Ruriko's hair was tousled and loose now, her lip bleeding while the boy had a few bruises and bite marks.

"Ruriko, they're gonna tell Kazuya and you're gonna get in trouble…" Akira groaned, hugging his sister close to him to keep her from running after the boy.

"I dun care! That guy hurt Nero's feelings! I'll kill 'im if he tries to hurt Nero!" Ruriko yelled, flipping her finger at the boy and the teacher taking him away. Nero finally got up the nerve to get up, going up to her.

"You didn't have to do that… Now you're going to get in trouble…" He murmured. Ruriko huffed, brushing her clothes off before folding her arms over her chest.

"I dun care! That boy is a bully and I hate his guts! I curse him that he'll be as fat as a jelly roll even when he's bigger!" She stated. Akira sighed and dropped a hand on her head to ruffle her hair. Nero stared at her past tired eyelids.

_She's getting in trouble because of me… She stood up for me… But I don't know how to say thank you…_ He thought, then bent down a little, brushing his thumb on his shirt, then using it to wipe the blood smeared on Ruriko's lip.

"I like you." Nero smiled. Ruriko smiled back, making her lip bleed just a little bit more as she held up two fingers.

"I like you too, Nero!" From that day onwards, they were friends. Every day Ruriko tried to stick words in Nero's head, always failing, but not quite giving up. She grew frustrated yes, but she was pleased one day during class Nero sat down with his schoolwork.

Thoughtlessly, he picked up his pencil and seemed to be writing something on the page, making Ruriko lean over in curiosity.

"Ne! Nero! Look what you did!" She cried, waving her finger. Nero yelped and looked down to see he had written something… But he still couldn't read it.

"What is it?" He asked. Ruriko laughed.

"Your name, silly! You wrote your name all by yourself!"

"I did? But I still can't read it…"

"No, but now you know what your name looks like, ne?" Ruriko asked eagerly and oddly enough, Nero was able to write it a few more times, pleased with the accomplishment. He remembered ruffling Ruriko's dark hair… Mumbling how much he liked her…

**FLASHBACK END, NERO'S POV**

I clenched the side of the book tightly in my fist, reeled it back, then flung it forward with as much force as I could muster with both chakra and mere strength alone. The book collided with the wall, bursting into a flurry of pages. I gritted my teeth and fell back on my ass, glaring at the book across the room.

I don't even know why I still tried… I just couldn't do it. Too many sounds, too many different meanings… I buried my face in my hands, my nails digging into my headband. Stupid book… Stupid everything. The Chuunin Exams were in two days and I feel like I haven't changed since that day… I feel like everything's toppling backwards.

I shut my eyes tightly. No… No, I'm just stressed… I can't spazz out now. If I do, it'll put Ruriko and Akira at a disadvantage. They've been looking forward to this since we became Genin… We had to do it.

No backing out now.

I eventually left the cramped space of the hotel room to go find Akira and Ruriko. I wanted to talk to them about those weirdos we met in town yesterday. I could feel my face growing hot.

"_So very cute, indeed… Botan wants to keep you, yes? Botan would feed you and cloth you and bath you and-"_

That sick freak saying things like that when he doesn't even know me! Ack, then again… He already knew my name… How did he know my name? And that other man, Daiki… He had such an ugly look in his eye, like he wanted to kill someone, whether me or the other two, it still was unsettling.

I sighed and rounded a corner, looking up just in time to see the devil himself. Daiki was standing in a hallway with that Botan guy. I jumped back and slammed my back against the wall, wincing. I went silent, hoping they hadn't heard me. I leaned in to listen a little.

"… Here. You cannot pull foolish acts like you did previously, do I make myself clear?" Daiki's voice demanded sternly, nothing like the sweet voice he used before.

"Yes, sir," Botan's voice murmured hypnotically, no longer loud and obnoxious, "I promise to behave…"

"And keep tabs on that team… We won't be able…" His voice seemed to drift in and out now, as if he was teasing, "Catch up with… Death of her… No fool, Botan…"

"Yes, of course… Sir?"

"What do you want now?"

"May I please, please, have him? I never get any pets to play with. I promise to take care of him, like I was saying before…" Botan's voice was raising slightly and I had a sickening, nauseous feeling that he was talking about me. I heard a chuckle.

"If you think you can take care of him… Do as you please, so long as you comply with my orders."

"Mm," Botan broke into that weird maniacal giggle, "Ne, ne, Daiki-sama! Botan loves you so much! Thankies for letting him have a pet!"

"Botan," Daiki's voice cut in sharply, "Do well to control your switches… Or else you'll arouse suspicions…"

"Heehee~ Of course, Daiki-sama. Botan can be a good boy!" I flinched and shuddered. Ugh, that guy was suck a creep… Both of 'em were! I started to inch away, but a strong grip caught the back of my cloak, jerking me backwards. I yelped and lost my footing, falling backwards as the grip dragged me into the hallway. I jerked my head up to see that that blind girl, Miyuki, had caught me. I grimaced at the sight of Daiki and Botan's surprised expressions.

Daiki's surprise slowly twisted into some kind of sick sadistic grin.

"An eavesdropper, eh?" He asked and walked over, bending down in front of me. I just tried my best to glare, but that gross feeling was hanging heavy in the air and making me sick. Daiki tilted his head a little, studying my face.

"Nero… Hm, you have the same eyes as your mother…" His voice trailed. My eyes widened and I stared at him now. Mother? I had a mother? Well, yea, I know everyone has a mother, but… I didn't think I would ever hear of one being mentioned for me. Daiki's stormy gray eyes seemed to dance as he studied my face.

"Yes, you're more like her than your father…" He mused and took my chin in his hand. I had completely forgotten I was in trouble. I was more focused on what he was saying. How did he know my mother? I know for sure I had a father… Well, he didn't act like a father, more like drill sergeant. It made me wonder what my mother was like. My father hadn't said a thing about her, only cursed her for not being there. I wondered before about my mother, but I had started to forget about her. She wasn't there and I don't remember anything about her for some reason…

"Such a thoughtful expression," Daiki interrupted my thought with a cat-like grin, "You never knew your mother, did you? Evidently not because your expression seems baffled…" I grimaced and reached up to smack his hand away, but Miyuki managed to catch my wrist in mid-air.

"Ah, ah, boy," Daiki warned, "You don't want to upset my Miyuki… She's much more powerful than you assume…" I dropped my eyes on him again, wincing at Miyuki's grip on my wrist. She definitely knew how to cut off blood flow, that's for damn sure.

"Don't hurt him too bad, Daiki-sama! Miyuki!" Botan complained, stomping his foot a tad childishly. Daiki smirked.

"No, just enough to make him forget we ever had this conversation." He replied, grabbing a handful of my hair. I winced and jerked at Miyuki's grip to make sure I couldn't free that hand before I used the other, bringing it up and slamming my fist into the side of Daiki's head. Daiki cursed and let go of my hair. Miyuki's grip loosened on instinct and I tore away, scrambling to my feet.

"Miyuki!" Daiki ordered. Miyuki whipped around without a sound and grabbed at the back of my cloak, but I managed to duck and skid across the floor back to my feet again. I ignored the fact that I lost a spiral of bandages on my way from squirming away from her before I ran around a corner and took off. I heard Daiki call Miyuki back, but I was still running, my lungs tightening.

Holy shit… That was close. I ran all the way down the hall and to the lobby to find that Kazuya wasn't there. I had to remember the common places he'd be at, which sucks since Kazuya's practically a social butterfly. I bolted outside and ran down the street.

Such a damn big village. I hate it.

I slowed to a walk, my eyes scanning the little shops until I found a pastry shop, where Kazuya happened to be sitting down with Asuma and two other Jounin. I tried not to make a scene like Akira would by bursting in there, so I just inched over and peeked in.

"Ah, Kazuya-sensei?" I asked. Kazuya blinked, and having to have good hearing, looked up at beamed at me.

"Nero! Come here. You can't keep hiding until the exams…" He added quietly. I glared at him, but walked forward and sat by him anyway, but keeping my eyes off the other two Jounin. One had bluish black hair in a bun with lilac eyes, wearing an eggplant-color kimono shirt with a sleeve is missing with a fishnet shirt underneath and navy pants. The other Jounin had salmon colored hair up in a firefly hairpin with light green eyes, wearing a green flak jacket with a light purple formfitting shirt with a metal plate at the top with Konoha's symbol and navy blue pants. They seemed friendly enough, but I still wasn't going to talk to them.

Looks can be deceiving!

"This must be one of the Genin you were talking about, Kazuya?" The first Jounin woman asked, cocking her head with a warm smile. Kazuya smiled and dropped a hand on my head.

"Yup! This is Nero. He's the oldest one out of the group. Well, mentally at least." He added with a sweat drop. The second Jounin smirked and rested her head on her knuckles to look at me.

"Is that so? That mean your mature?" She asked.

"Kotori, behave." The first Jounin woman scolded, but she was still grinning despite it. Kotori leaned back with a light laugh.

"It was just a question. You act like I was-"

"Flirting." Asuma and the first woman said together in a deadpan voice. Kotori sweat dropped and pushed her lips into a sort of thoughtful pout. Kazuya laughed, then turned my head so I was looking at the table of Jounin.

"I'm sure you remember Asuma. These two lovely ladies are Hitsuki Mayu and Kuromura Kotori." He introduced.

"Are you trying to flatter us?" Mayu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Cuz it's working." Kotori grinned with a playful wink. Wow… If there was one way I could remember HER it was because she was definitely a flirt. Asuma chuckled as he puffed on his cigarette.

"Kazuya, I think you're gonna have to learn the ways of the exams on your own. All we know is there are three parts to it." He stated, flashing three fingers up. I sweat dropped. So Kazuya was asking them for information on the exams? Impatient bastard.

"Yea, it's not like we give information free anyway." Mayu agreed with a nod.

"It doesn't have to be money." Kotori threw in, innocently rolling her eyes to look up at the ceiling. Mayu and Asuma sweat dropped. Kazuya, being the totally clueless guy he was, blinked.

"What else would you take?" He asked. I smacked my forehead. Asuma laughed out loud.

"Kazuya, you don't get out much do you?" Mayu asked with a sigh, tilting her head and leaning it on her hand.

"That's okay," Kotori jumped in, "We can show him all around town… And if you wanna come, Nero, you may join us." I should have replied, but I only gave my head a little shake.

"Doesn't say much does he?" Mayu sighed, looking right at me. Her eyes looked comforting, but that didn't mean I was going to talk to her. People could say and do whatever they want to be nice, but they could be really mean. Ruriko said I was the exact opposite. I looked and acted mean, but I was just shy and friendly.

Yea right.

"He's just shy." Kazuya replied, as if reading my mind. I rolled my eyes and looked the other way, but that's when I remembered why I ran to find Kazuya. I looked at him eagerly and gave his chocolate brown jumpsuit sleeve. He looked at me.

"One second, Nero," He told me and turned to the others, "I should probably get back. If you guys happen to find out something you wanna tell me, I'm at that hotel down the street… and if you see my brother and sister, tell them to come back to the hotel. They haven't been back all day."

"Misfits!" Kotori snorted, but she was still smirking.

"Probably off exploring this village is pretty big." Mayu said.

"Let's hope they don't run into some weird characters." Asuma muttered. All four Jounin seemed to sweat drop together at the thought of whoever fit in the category of 'weird'. If anyone, I think that kid from the other day, what was his name? Rock Lee. He was weird as hell. So was Daisuke, but for some reason, I could actually talk to him. Maybe not full paragraphs, but a few sentences…

"Anyway, thanks for the help! See you guys later!" Kazuya waved as we got up.

"Hehe, don't forget about that offer about hanging around town tonight, Kazuya-kun!" Kotori called, flailing her hand.

"For gods' sakes…" Mayu smacked her forehead. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I didn't ask and waited until Kazuya started walking with me down the path.

"They're weird." I said at last. Kazuya smiled.

"I rather enjoyed their company."

"Even Kotori's?"

"Of course! It's nice to have people who are lively and fun. I'm used to all those serious old men back at the village." Kazuya muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. I sighed, then frowned.

"Uh, sensei, I needed to talk to you about something…"

"What is it?"

"There were these really weird characters we met, uh, yesterday," I explained slowly, "I don't know who they were, but one of them in particular bothered me. I think he has some kind of split personality." Kazuya frowned.

"… That's odd… How many were there?"

"Three. A woman and two guys. The woman wears her headband over her eyes, though… And the other guy, I guess he's their leader or something, but he acts really high and mighty… He looks a little familiar, but I can't tell where I've seen them from."

"Hn, I'll look into it… Meanwhile, be careful. It sounded like you just described Gin'iro Ni Kagayaku Tsuki, the Silver Moon. They're a pretty famous criminal trio that are in league with Akatsuki." Kazuya informed. I stared at him.

"Two dangerous criminal organizations? Great, just what the world needs." I muttered. Kazuya smiled and patted me on the head.

"That's why we need shinobi, for you to pass the exams, so we can stop criminals from harming the common people." He replied. I nodded. Of course… But still. I got a really uneasy feeling from that trio.

The Silver Moon…

**Later…**

I tossed my clothes onto the bed, glancing at Akira, who was sitting on his bed crossed legged, holding a book in his hands.

"This is really mature… I wonder who writes this!" Akira laughed, dropping the book. I frowned and walked up to the bed, picking up the book to look at the cover. All I could tell from it was something really mature with a guy chasing a girl across the cover.

"Where did you get this?" I asked as Akira snatched it away, although, he wouldn't have to. It's not like I could read it anyway. Akira grinned sheepishly.

"Hehe, I stole it from a bin downstairs in the lobby at the front desk. I think the manager reads it… What a pervert." He snickered. I blinked.

"It's porn?" I asked. Akira blushed, waving a hand in my face.

"Not porn! Art! There's a difference!" He yelled. I raised an eyebrow.

"And what if Kazuya-sensei caught you reading that?" I asked. Akira went red, hugging the book to his chest.

"Don't tell him! Please, Nero! I never get to do anything and this book is so good! I promise to return it when I'm done, I swear, I swear!" He cried, practically flailing. I smirked, folding my arms over my bare chest.

"Che, he'll find out sooner or later if you act more perverted than you already." I pointed out. Akira scowled at me, still blushing red as he shoved the book under his pillow.

"I do not act like a pervert! I'm civil, thank you."

"Liar. You were probably peeking into the thermal bathes all day, weren't you? Kazuya-sensei mentioned something about you being gone all day." I replied. Akira wailed, pulling on his loose hair.

"You're such a jerk, Nero! You dummy! Meanie!"

"Even Ruriko can come up with better insults and a lot of the shit she says doesn't even make sense." I deadpanned. Akira sweat dropped, then huffed and whipped around so his back was facing me.

"Hmph! Go put a shirt on or something!" He retorted. I smirked and went to my bed, scooping up a pair of pants and changing into them. I didn't wear a shirt to bed, so I didn't bother and hopped onto the bed, taking my headband off and tossing it on the nightstand. I could feel Akira watching me the entire time for some reason. I looked at him and he looked back down at his book quickly, getting caught in the act.

"What?" I asked. Akira glanced up past his hair.

"What what?" He asked. I frowned.

"You were looking at me."

"Was not." Akira answered dryly and harrumphed, looking back at his book. I raised an eyebrow, then rolled my eyes and slid into bed. I closed my eyes and went to bed.

That was the worst thing I could have done.

I was plunged into one of the worst nightmares I had ever had. Normally my nightmares are enough for me to handle, but this one was different.

I felt someone holding onto me, tightly, squeezing the air out of my lungs. Oddly enough, I felt an arm up my shirt and holding my chin to accompany the grip around my waist. I gasped for air, but it was hard to get it in. Then I heard it. That familiar hyena laughter that echoed in the forested area that I was in.

"Nehehe! He's mine, mine, mine!" Botan's voice yelled in my ear. Horror shot up my spine and I tried to squirm away, but he was holding me way too tightly. I winced and gasped when another scene popped up. Daiki had Ruriko pinned down with a wind jutsu, but she was bloodied and cut up, still yelling, but her voice was muffled sounding. Akira was yelling something, but suddenly stopped when that Miyuki girl jumped in front of him. Suddenly, I felt like I was looking through his eyes.

Miyuki's headband slipped from over her eyes and fell to the ground, suddenly getting warped into some kind of hideous scene with lots of blood and screams. I saw chunks of flesh go flying and kunai, swords flashing everywhere. It all repeated before vanishing and I was back in my own body, watching Akira crumple to the ground in a fetal position.

I tried to yell again, but Botan clamped his hand over my mouth, giggling in my ear. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to scream, yell, anything, but his hand had a good grip and all my cries were muffled. His nails dug into my cheek and hip as he brought his mouth to my ear.

"Now Botan has a pet… Now Daiki-sama will be happy when his family is punished for killing little sister, yes, yes… We're going to have a lot of fun together, Nero~"

I screamed and my eyes snapped open when I felt someone's hand touch my head. I gasped, finding myself staring at my pillow. My face was pressed against it, my fists gripping the sheets.

"Nero… Nero, are you awake?" It was Kazuya's voice. I didn't feel like talking now and I just lifted my eyes in the darkness of the room to see Kazuya kneeling beside the bed, his hand resting on my head. I stared at him, trying to catch my breath and sweating.

"I'm not taking the exams…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Sorry if the ending seemed rush, but I was in a bit of a hurry. lol. Thanks so much for reading, hope you guys are as happy as I am with this chapter. I brought in some more OCs and promise to bring in a lot more in the next chapter! Your reviews are loved!**


	5. Chapter 5

**HOLY PANCAKES. Ono This took forever… :'D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES. I also do not own any other OCs introduced, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Hajin**

**Ayano**

**Zoki**

**A/N: This is still in Nero's POV~**

****

Chapter Five: **Talent-less Fool and Big Groups **

"I said I didn't want to do this." I muttered, walking behind Ruriko and Akira as we made our way to the exams. Akira rolled his eyes, smirking a little and his folded his arms over his chest.

"Just because of a silly nightmare? Nero, you can't let that ruin our chances in the exams!" He protested, although, I knew he was nervous by the way he looked away, nibbling on his lip. Ruriko was frowning and seemed to be trying to ignore me, but I wouldn't let her.

"Ruriko, I'm not joking. You have to believe me. That nightmare was way too real to be just a nightmare." I insisted. She flicked her eyes in the opposite direction and seemed slightly annoyed with me, but I could tell she was still pondering my warning. Even so, they didn't make any attempts to stop and turn around, the academy building coming into sight.

Just the look of it gave me the creeps as Ruriko led us in through the front doors. The sound of our shoes hitting the wooden floor was all I could hear, echoing up and down the halls. I got the weirdest feeling as we headed to the main room where we were told to meet.

"Ruriko-" I started, but this time she whipped around and grabbed the front of my cloak, surprising me as she jerked me down to eye level with her lavender eyes that were blazing angrily.

"All right," She snapped at me, "So you're scared cuz of some nightmare? Who gives a shit? Nero, we're here to become Chuunin! I don't care if our lives are in danger! That's what being a shinobi is about! Didn't you consider that before you entered the academy?" I stared at her, studying her angry expression. Normally I would have commented how cute she was when she was mad… I mean, don't get me wrong, cuz she was cute, but that wasn't the point.

It was what she said.

She was right. About joining the academy, to become a shinobi… Risking my life was part of the job. Even so, the thought of Akira and Ruriko in danger, of letting Botan get his paws on me was making me uncomfortable, like I knew we didn't stand a chance. Ruriko let go of my jacket, stepping back to fold her arms over her chest, glaring up at me.

"I know it's tough competition. I'll admit that Daisuke's team is probably pretty tough. So is Lee's team and all the others… But we're strong too. You've both been training like hell to get here and I won't let you give up!" She announced, then whipped around and went for the doors.

I smiled a little and came up behind her, giving her a hug. Ruriko stiffened and I could see a very amusing, hot blush cross her face.

"You're always acting so tough… You're starting to make the boys look bad." I told her quietly, hearing Akira harrumph behind me. Ruriko huffed and reached up to clamp her hands over my arms, holding for a second before throwing them off her.

"Whatever." She snorted and pushed the door open to reveal a room full of impatient Genin. I winced and the confidence that I had felt for that split second vanished. Way too many people in one cramped room. Akira was at my side in an instant, probably a little freaked out by the annoyed expressions on almost everyone's faces.

I could easily pick out the Rain village team, the little snot leader of the trio smirking smugly in our direction. It really made me want to punch him, but I didn't want to make a scene and held back. Immediately as the doors closed behind us, we were met with Daisuke and his teammates, Sora and Mai.

"Hey, guys! We were waiting for you! Glad you didn't back out because I heard several teams did." He added with a dissatisfied little pout. Sora sweat dropped, brushing her long scarlet red hair out of her matching eyes.

"Daisuke, this round of exams is supposed to be one of the hardest." She pointed out dryly, but Daisuke only huffed confidently, folding his arms over his chest.

"I say we're gonna kick ass big time!" He announced. They're quieter, white-haired and icy-eyed member, Mai, only shook her head, hiding her face behind her hand as if to show that Daisuke was an embarrassing fool… Which he kind of was, but that was why I liked him. It was like Kazuya said…

Sometimes you need those kind of people around to lighten the mood.

"What's your issue, Daisuke? You're such a moron." A voice stated. I looked up to see a pair of auburn-haired twins with green eyes, the cockier one having spoken the insult to which Daisuke replied with an eye twitch. The twin with her hair in buns smiled a bit meekly, patting her sister on the shoulder.

"Ayaka, let's not start a fight now. The exams haven't even started." She pointed out. Behind her, came their third member. A boy about Ruriko's age with deep blue hair that touched his shoulders and stormy eyes, his right eye sclera black. He had such a flat expression on, as if he found nothing funny, which was kind of weird if you compared him to Daisuke, the obnoxious loud-mouth.

"Yea, Ayaka. Listen to Honoka." Daisuke taunted. Ayaka's eye twitched angrily and she clenched a fist in his face.

"Keep talking." She challenged. Daisuke grinned, but Sora covered his mouth quickly as he opened it, laughing nervously.

"He forgot to take his medication." She lied smoothly. Daisuke flailed comically, his curses muffled as he shook his fist.

"Who're you guys?" Ruriko butted in, not used to so much conversation around her as she stared at the quieter boy. I felt a small pang in the back of my mind and I wondered for a split second if it was jealousy, but then I smiled with relief when I remembered that Ruriko cared more about food than she did dating.

"Name's Tachibana Ayaka," Ayaka introduced proudly, putting a hand on her twin's shoulder, "This here is my sister, Honoka. And that guy is Kawaguchi Ryuuko. You must be Tsukuyomi Ruriko and Akira. And Nero… Mayu-sensei mentioned you." Mayu. She was one of the pretty Jounin that Kazuya introduced me to yesterday.

"Cool! Someone actually remembered us!" Akira blurted. I flung my hand back on instinct, smacking him in the face, making him yelp and clasp his hands over his nose as it grew red. Ruriko sweat dropped as I looked away innocently.

"Have you met any of the other competition?" Honoka asked, giving a warm smile. She was cute, like her sister, but her personality made her a bit cuter. I wanted to smack myself. Why was I paying attention to that at a time like this?

"Definitely," Ruriko answered since I didn't want to talk and Akira was busy tending to his red nose, "We made some 'friends' with one of the Rain Village squads… Real jerks, especially the shrimp." Ayaka's eyes lit up.

"Him? He's taken the exams three times already and has failed all three times!" She exclaimed.

"They say he ends up killing all his teammates." Sora muttered, folding her arms over her chest and giving a look of disapproval.

"Dude, that's low!" Akira protested, recovered from the smashed nose. Daisuke huffed.

"Some teammate… I feel sorry for whoever he's hanging out with." He pointed out, putting a hand on his hip and thrusting a finger in the team's direction. Mai rolled her eyes, looking the other way and I could tell what she was thinking.

_Dumbass. Point at them and they'll know we're talking about them._

"You know, we can hear you from across the room." A guy's voice called. There were just way too many teams in one room. So long as the Rain team didn't approach us, I was fine with that!

The guy approaching us dark haired, dark-eyed Genin about two years younger than me dressed in a dark green jacket, shorts to his knees, and his headband on his right arm. Daisuke smacked his forehead as if he was annoyed with amount of attention that was flowing. I was going to say it was his fault, but I had almost forgotten that it wasn't just us two in the room.

The new Genin was accompanied by a girl with the same hair and brown eyes, wearing a green coat with no sleeves and dark green pants that seemed to flare at her ankles, her headband on her forehead. Their third member was a blue-eyed blondie with glasses with bandages around his arms and legs.

"I thought you said teams were dropping out." Ruriko said, glancing at Daisuke, who sweat dropped.

"You ever been to these exams?" He asked.

"Normally," The first Genin guy spoke up, "There's more teams. Last time, there was enough to plan a preliminary round… They may have to do it again if this is the amount of people they have planned."

"Unless there are people like that Rain Village team, who kills all their teammates." Ayaka snorted, folding her arms over her chest. I flinched.

"You're talking about Hajin?" The first Genin asked.

"Yea, what'd you know about him, Osamu?" Daisuke asked. The Genin known as Osamu smirked at him a bit cockily and I got the feeling these two were almost the same…

"Everything Kotori-sensei told us. She dug up some dirt on the guy." He responded tauntingly.

"Kotori-sensei?" I blurted and got some funny stares, but probably because they hadn't heard me talk yet.

"You know our sensei?" The second girl on their team asked with curious eyes. I stiffened and bit into my lip, only answering with a slight nod. I got elbowed by Akira, but I elbowed him back as Ruriko spoke up.

"Wait, wait. What kind of dirt? It's good if we can get as much info on this guy as possible." Ruriko said. Osamu paused, seeming to think it over before shrugging.

"The rumors about him killing off his teammates are true, but there's no real proof… People just assume that his teammates are reckless and worthless." He pointed out.

"Not worthless," The girl jumped in, "Just not ready for the Chuunin rank… You don't have to put it so flatly."

"Sorry, Kishi." Osamu said under his breath. I frowned. Ruriko sighed, then smirked.

"Great. This'll be fun. I call kicking his ass first!" She yelled. I sweat dropped and Akira grabbed Ruriko around the neck, covering her mouth.

"You don't yell that in a room full of impatient Genin!" He hissed at her. Daisuke laughed, ignoring the random stares we were getting from the other Genin.

"Let's see you try it! I bet you we'll get to him first!" He challenged. I smacked my forehead.

"No way! Get off your high horse, Daisuke! My team will definitely kick his ass as well as yours!" Ayaka smirked, earning a sweat drop from Honoka. It seemed like each team had it's own cocky brat.

"To Hell," Osamu retorted, "He'll have you all pinned down and we'll have to be the ones to rescue you."

"Oh please! Who do you think you are?" Ruriko rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest after shoving Akira off her. Osamu smirked.

"The guy who's gonna save your life." He responded. Ruriko opened her mouth to make another comment, but this time I took the chance and covered her mouth with both my hands, averting my eyes the other way in annoyance. Seriously? What is wrong with over-confident shinobi nowadays?

"What about you? What makes your team so special?" Ayaka asked, looking right at me. I flicked my eyes the other way now and uncovered Ruriko's mouth. Ruriko huffed, wiping off her mouth before speaking for us.

"Good question. I was about to ask you that. You guys keep popping like bunnies. Our village hardly has any current Genin! Most of them fail our exams to become Genin…" She muttered.

"Whaaat? What exactly do your exams consist of?" Honoka asked, perplexed.

"Nothing much… We just have to defend ourselves in a fight is all." Ruriko replied.

"First one down loses." Akira announced confidently.

"For real? But you're graduating from the academy… Shouldn't they be a bit more lenient?" Sora asked with a frown.

"You'd think so, right?" Ruriko sighed. I frowned again. They acted like it was a hard exam for academy students, but it really wasn't. We were up against a Chuunin and it was just a defense test. Of course, some people -cough- Ruriko -cough- got carried away and actually jumped the Chuunin, but otherwise, if you could defend yourself, you passed.

She was right, though, that there were a lot more Konoha Genin than there were Suna Genin. So far we had met Daisuke's team, Ayaka's team, and Osamu's team. Each team, even though I hadn't seen them fight, were probably just as strong as our team. Of course, they each had their own cocky bastard just like ours, but they still showed to be formidable opponents. I was going to have a hard time during these exams…

Not just trying to stay alive, but keeping an eye out for that freak Botan and making sure my teammates stayed alive.

"What is the first exam anyway?" Ruriko asked at last.

"Some kind of written exam… This year's is supposed to be shorter than last year's, though." Honoka explained with a sigh.

"Wait, what?" Ruriko asked, frowning. I paled. Written exam? Akira flinched and glanced at me, but I looked in the other direction to avoid his stare. I knew he was probably worried, but I didn't want to see him feel sorry for me.

"What's on the exam exactly?" Akira questioned.

"Just a couple questions. The last one is usually the most important, but he actually speaks that one." Osamu replied with a slight yawn.

"Why, what's wrong with a written exam?" Ayaka demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"… It's not our thing." Ruriko replied dryly, folding her arms over her chest. I bit my lip.

Maybe these exams were going to be harder than I thought… I grimaced and really prayed that it would all fall on the last question this time. In a matter of minutes, a man dressed in a black trench coat with his headband worn like a bandana came in, yelling for everyone to shut the hell up.

He reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it. For some reason, Ruriko kept popping into my head, but maybe that's just because he shouted the entire time he talked to us, ordering us to pick numbers and sit at the appropriate seat.

I found myself sitting by Daisuke and another girl with black hair in a ponytail matching her onyx eyes. She wore a familiar crest on the back of her jacket, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Good thing I'm sittin' next to you," Daisuke laughed beside me, "I don't think I could put up with Ruriko's nagging." I smiled a little and nodded, but glanced down at my paper. All the symbols looked like random slashes on the paper, nothing like words or anything. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. Great… Just what I needed the first time around.

"You can't read, can you?" A girl's voice asked and I jumped in my seat, looking at the girl to my left. She was giving me a little smile, but it seemed more suspicious than anything… Then again, I was suspicious of everyone. I just gave her a curious stare before she spoke.

"I'm Koyuki… I can tell by the way you looked at your paper." She pointed out. I sweated a little, shifting uneasily in my seat. Usually people wouldn't guess it out loud like that.

"I hope you know that if you don't pass the first part of the exam, you fail all together and you bring your teammates down with you." She said.

"What?" I cried. She smirked at my reaction.

"Calm down… Before big-mouth over there starts ranting, I'll let you in on a little secret… The point of the exam is to cheat. Most of these answers don't even make sense to people without a sky-rocket IQ. Just copy what another person is doing… But don't get caught by the people who're going to be coming into the room in a bit. Sounds easy, right?" She asked, studying my flat expression.

"You've taken these before?" I asked hesitantly, raising an eyebrow. Koyuki sweat dropped, her eye twitching before she poked me in the chest.

"Just because I've failed doesn't mean I sucked. It just means the exams were tough. Don't give me that look." She retorted. I smirked. At least she wasn't cocky or obnoxious like several people who came to mind.

"ALL RIGHT," Morino Ibiki's voice practically shook the room and put everyone in their seats correctly, "Welcome to the first portion of the Chuunin Exams! I see some familiar faces… WHICH MEANS YOU FAILED MISERABLY IN THE LAST EXAM!" Whoa, harsh. This guy definitely wasn't someone I wanted to be friends with. I frowned and leaned on my elbows, glancing down the table to the other side of the room. Ruriko and Akira were sitting together, giving each other annoyed looks. I just hoped Ruriko kept her mouth shut.

"This is the written portion of the exams," Ibiki continued, "There are five questions, but the last one will be verbal. The first four questions will be story problems, each about three paragraphs long and you must read them carefully! They're based on real life situations. Fail this, and you fail the entire exam and you will be forced to exit and never return… Not so bad, now is it? So long as you know how to read carefully." I flinched. It was like someone was out to get me. He babbled some more, mostly insulting us if we failed the exams. Most everyone seemed confident until they looked down at their papers. Even Daisuke flinched a little before he plucked up his pencil. I didn't even bother picking mine up. Those 'people' that were watching us were really watching us, their eyes locked on every move we made. I couldn't even blink without one of them narrowing their eyes. I winced, watching the symbols practically shift on the page. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to think.

Koyuki said that the point of the test was to cheat, but how can I? I could already see her eyes glowing an odd red. I knew she had a Kekkei Genkai, but for some reason, I couldn't place my finger on it. I knew Ruriko and Akira would know since Kazuya is always making them read up on things.

I felt pretty stupid compared to everyone in this room. I couldn't read, I couldn't write, I had no real special talents. Sometimes I wondered why my aunt even made me join this stupid thing… Becoming a ninja. Maybe I only joined thinking I could do something with my life… I thoughtlessly picked up the pencil, frowning.

I could remember Osamu saying that the last question was usually the most important… It was a stupid plan, but I might as well try it. I started copying down the questions over again in the answer boxes. Yea, it was stupid, but at least I would have something written down in the blank spaces. I could get away scot-free for a bit.

I didn't even know what I was copying down and my handwriting was terrible. Ruriko used to tell me that a lot. So did my aunt, but she was a lot harsher about it. She would snap my pencils in half and crush them up. I remember telling her that if she was so mad at me, why didn't she break me instead of the pencils. She said she could never do that to my mother.

Yea, right. She was just coming up with excuses.

I finished copying with a few more minutes to spare. I dropped the pencil and rested my forehead on the desk, sighing. My hand was cramped like hell and I'd have rather stopped earlier to take a break, but my mind was off on copying. I could hear some kids getting caught cheating. They tried to defend their case, but the sentinels didn't even let them get a word out, forcing them to leave the room. This Ibiki guy was a real jerk from my point of view. He was scanning the classroom just as hawkish-like as the sentinels.

I felt like I was falling asleep by the time Ibiki slammed his fist on the chalkboard, making some people jump.

"All right, your time is up! You will now receive the final and most important question! Of course, I'm warning you before hand… If you want to risk being kicked out of here for the rest of your miserable lives, you have permission to leave now!"

As if. Some of the Genin here are probably confident in their answers, whether they cheated or actually tried to work the problems out.

"… The final question… Is whether or not you deserve to become a Chuunin!" Ibiki announced, folding his arms over his chest and giving one of those tough guy huffs. I sweat dropped. Seriously? He worked our asses off on hard questions only to work up to this one? A lot of other people seemed confused too and were giving 'duh' expressions. Ibiki glared.

"Do not take this question lightly! Your answer on this will depend on everything you've done so far! Answer this one wrong and you're eternally barred from ever taking the exams again!" He yelled, making some of the Genin protest. I glanced down the table at Ruriko and Akira, who were rolling their eyes. I wonder if they were thinking the same thing I was thinking…

Couldn't we just totally change our identities and appearance to get in the next time they have the exams? This guy definitely didn't think like a ninja.

"Now, write your answer on the back of your exam before flipping it back over." Ibiki announced. I flinched. Well, jeez, that ruined my mood quickly. I grimaced and looked down at the page. It was supposed to be a personal answer, so no amount of copying was going to help me here… Nor was copying down the question since it was verbal. I sighed, running a hand through my hair, closing my eyes to think.

If I leave it blank, not only am I screwed, but so are Ruriko and Akira. It may sound easy to sneak back into the exams next time, but it probably wasn't and Kazuya probably wouldn't go for it since he's one of those noble Jounin. Ugh, maybe Botan and the rest of those freaks were the least of my problems… I bit into my lip, tapping the pencil eraser on the back of the paper.

I could hear some people already flipping their papers back over, probably confident in their answers. Ibiki was looking for some kind of answer, but what? A lot of people were probably going to put something along the lines of _Because I want to be a great ninja!_ Or something stupid like that… Was he looking for something about our villages? Some worthless crap about peace?

No way… Everyone knows there's never really peace in the ninja world… So what the hell? There didn't seem to be anything else to put down… Wait a minute.

I stared down at the paper, dropping my pencil. I winced. I am such an idiot… I slammed my head into the desk again, ignoring how Koyuki and Daisuke both jumped in surprise. Why didn't I see it before? Maybe I wasn't totally useless after all… Although, it'd make me feel a whole lot less worthless if I was the first one to notice this…

Ibiki finally had the sentinels pick up our papers after about fifteen minutes when everyone was done. People started muttering amongst themselves.

"Nero, why did you copy down all the questions in the answer places?" Daisuke questioned me as soon as Ibiki left. I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment. Why did I have the feeling that he was thinking of copying off my paper?

"Uhm… Because…." I muttered. I heard Koyuki smirk behind me and give my seat a little kick. I sweat dropped and leaned on the desk again.

"I can't answer the questions, that's why." I told Daisuke at last. Daisuke shrugged.

"Well, neither could I. I don't think half the kids in here could!" He replied. I sighed, taking off my headband to rub my forehead.

"Daisuke, I can't read or write. That's why I copied the questions in the answers spaces." I mumbled. Daisuke blinked and looked at me curiously.

"If you couldn't read or write, why didn't you tell someone? They can't make you take a test if you don't-"

"No," I insisted, "I don't like telling people… Because I used to get made fun of for it back at the academy… And shinobi don't tell other shinobi they're weaknesses unless they trust them." Daisuke paused, then beamed at me.

"So you trust me?" He asked. I twitched, feeling that same hot feeling in my face again. For crying out loud… This is one of those times I wish my aunt was here to smack me upside the head and tell me I'm stupid… Then again, maybe I did trust Daisuke. It's not like he'd start making fun of me or try and trick me or anything…

"Yea." I said at last. Daisuke grinned proudly.

"About time! Ruriko mentioned something about you not liking or trusting anyone when you first meet 'em!"

"Did she now?" I muttered, glancing down the table at said little brat, who was busy babbling to Akira.

"So that's how you did it?" Koyuki asked me. I twitched, then sighed, leaning on my knuckles.

"Yea…"

"Probably better than giving yourself a migraine trying to figure the answers out." Koyuki pointed out as she fixed her ponytail. I frowned, pausing before deciding to ask:

"I have a question… Uh, it's just that… I haven't been able to read up on history or anything of the sort, but… The crest on the back of your jacket…" My voice trailed. Koyuki blinked and glanced at her jacket, then gave me a faint smile.

"Uchiha Clan." She responded. I stared at her. Uchiha. That's the name of the clan that was supposedly completely wiped from the planet. I take it there was more than one survivor…

"Don't look so surprised," She replied, waving a hand in my face, "It's not like… Ah, never mind… It's best you find things out on your own."

"Eh? What-" I was cut off when Ibiki came back into the room, almost throwing the doors off its hinges and making every person in the room leap into the air, then back in their seats. This guy sure loved getting attention, whether it be negative or positive, apparently.

"More than half of you failed!" He shouted right away. I winced. Was I wrong about the last question? Well, looks like this was a complete and total failure…

"What's all this worthless writings about courage? The correct answer should be something like this!" He thrust up a blank sheet of paper and the pencil that I had picked up to bend nervously broke in half as I stared.

I was right!

"There are no words to describe why you should be a Chuunin! The sensation is already inside you. To defend your village and your friends and family! Those of you who put something down are required to exit the room. All others are to remain and be informed of the next part of the exam." Ibiki announced, throwing the papers behind him. There goes half the class's hard work… A lot of people got up, but nobody I really knew. To my surprise, Hajin and his team were still sitting in the room, looking as smug as ever.

How does a jerk like that even…? Seriously. Either the test was a rip off or that team is just sneaky… Or something…

**Later…**

"This is where our next exam is going to be held?" Akira asked with a grimace, staring up at the tall, barbed wire fencing around a pretty spooky looking forest. I grimaced.

"Looks like it." I muttered, then felt a twitch beside me and looked down at Ruriko, who staring up at the forest with wide lavender eyes. I waited a second… And then it happened.

"EW! There's bugs in there! I don't want to go in there!" She cried. I was too pleased with the fact that she had grabbed onto my arm to care that Akira was tugging on my other arm.

"All right, listen up, brats!" A female's voice yelled, making my ears ring. She sounded a lot worse than Ibiki by far. She hopped off the top of the fence, her coat fluttering as she landed on her feet like a cat. I felt Ruriko dig her nails into my arm.

"I hate ladies like her." Ruriko deadpanned.

"You're cutting off my circulation." I muttered.

"She's hot." Ruriko and I stared at Akira, who was busy watching the new exam instructor yell at us.

"Welcome to the second part of the Chuunin Exams! I am your instructor Mitarashi Anko!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Again, I shriek HOLY PANCAKES. :D I got so many OC entries and I think introduced most of the characters. The others will be introduced in the next few chapters as well. The next few chapters are gonna be super totally terrifically dramatic! Or at least, that's what I'm aiming for… I'm debating on the POVs for the chapters, but I think I have some ideas in mind. C: So, thanks for reading, I hope your OCs are all in character, and your reviews are super helpful and appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Haha~ I'm on a roll with this!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Hajin**

**Zoki**

**Ayano**

**A/N: This is in Nero's POV once again~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Six: **Psycho Analysis**

"Welcome to the second part of the Chuunin Exams! I am your instructor Mitarashi Anko!" The loud-mouthed instructor announced, thrusting her arm out dramatically. She liked to put on a show… That only made Ruriko dig her nails into my arm more. I think she ignored my previous comment…

"For this portion of the exam," Anko yelled, pulling a stack of papers from her coat, "You must all sign these forms or you won't be able to take it. These forms are just in case, you know, you kick the bucket. We don't want anyone screamin' at us because we found you all rotten and torn up."

"Well, that was a friendly description." Akira muttered under his breath, folding his arms over his chest.

"Sounded yummy to me." Ruriko deadpanned, averting her eyes. Akira and I both winced at the same time. Anko started tossing the forms at us. Ruriko, thank the gods, let go of my arm and snatched the form, scanning it over. I just handed my form to Ruriko, who huffed, but took it anyway. I followed her to a comfortable spot to sit down, listening to her read the form out loud.

I didn't ask her to, either. I just told her to sign my name for me, but she insisted on reading it out loud to me. I think she liked reading things out loud… It made me smile as I watched her eyes scanning over the form, her lips moving with the words.

"And so, I, Nero, allow myself to participate in- What the hell are you looking at?" She asked me with a flat expression, her eyes half lidded. I blinked and met her eyes, then grinned.

"Nothing. I just like watching your lips move."

"… YOU PERVERT! Listen to what I'm reading to you! It's extremely important, fool! You can't just sign something without reading it!" Ruriko yelled at me, smacking me in the back of the head. I smirked, despite the dull pain in the back of my head now where I placed my hand.

"Hmph," Akira plopped down beside me, leaning on my shoulder, making me wince, "That lady may be hot, but she's got a nasty temper." I noticed a cut over Akira's nose, which told me Akira tried to something worse than watching her lips move while she read.

"Akira, you don't go up to a woman and try and grope her the first time you meet." I muttered. Akira blinked and looked at me.

"You don't?" He asked, obliviously. I sweat dropped. Ruriko glared at him, slamming the forms down in her lap.

"You men have no respect for women! Unbelievable! I'll have you castrated, you pigs!" She snarled, swiping the forms back up to smack both Akira and I over the head. We both yelped.

"Well, well. Looks like that guy can talk after all." A voice said. Ruriko, Akira, and I all looked up to see Ayaka, Honoka, and Ryuuko coming near us. I looked in the other direction as Akira huffed.

"Course he can. He just chooses not to talk to girls because he has-" I quickly shoved him to the ground, elbowing him in the side of the head, making him yelp. Ayaka smirked, folding her arms over her chest. Honoka sighed, scratching the side of her head as she sweated a bit.

"What did you guys think of the first exam?" She asked, hopeful to change the subject. I frowned and looked at Ruriko, who cocked her head.

"Pretty easy. Akira cheated off my paper… But I was cheating off the guy next to me, even though he failed the last question. Pretty funny, though. I didn't put an answer because I don't care why I deserve to be Chuunin. I just wanna be a Special Jounin so I can do whatever the hell I want, like my brother, Hioshi!" She announced with a proud smirk.

Well, that's a sad dream. Tsukuyomi Hioshi, the last brother I ever met from their family, was a shut-in Jounin. He mostly just collected information and worked on smaller tasks. He was afraid of leaving his home, according to Kazuya, and refused to leave it. He was pretty lazy because of this and rather careless… A lot like Ruriko. The two were practically twins.

"That doesn't sound like much of a goal." Ryuuko finally said honestly, his eyes averted. Ruriko shrugged, leaning back against the tree trunk.

"Doesn't matter. It's not like I wanna be Kazekage or anything. I've already seen what stress they go through and there's no way in hell I'd ever want that to happen to me." She replied, jabbing a thumb at herself.

"Sounds like pure laziness to me." Ayaka retorted.

"Your point?" Ruriko asked with a deadpan expression. Honoka sweat dropped. I smacked my forehead and Akira laughed.

"That's Ruriko for you. She'll only fight if food's at stake." He replied as if he were proud of her. I'd be a lot more proud if she got off her butt and tried to train with us once in a while.

"All right," Anko's voice echoed throughout the clearing, "Hand in your forms and line up behind the red line in front of the tent! Within the tent, there is a scroll that you're being handed. The scroll contains top secret information regarding dangerous criminals. However, if you open the scroll, a Genjutsu trap will be released and it will delay your trip… The point of the exam is that you gather as much information on certain criminals as possible and make it to the center tower within five days. There should be information littered about this forest, but each one is guarded with advanced traps. You may have to fight opponents for the information within their scroll as well…. I think that's it. So grab your scroll and pick a door, maggots, so we can get this show on the road!"

Ruriko signed her form and mine, placing them in the tent with Akira's. She snatched up the scroll, glancing at it sideways as we walked out.

"It's just a simple scroll… Good thing Hioshi's an information hog…" She murmured as we went to find a gate. I frowned, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"What'd you mean?" I asked. Ruriko smirked, tossing the scroll into the air and catching it.

"Duh. Hioshi and I talk a lot back at home. I've already got information on 'certain criminals'. Such as Akatsuki and Orochimaru." I stared at her. I didn't think Ruriko planned anything. Most of the things she does, including her fighting style, isn't planned and just flung out there randomly. I was surprised. Akira seemed pretty shocked too, his periwinkle eyes wide.

"Seriously? Wow, Ruriko… You actually impressed me." He mused. Ruriko rolled her eyes.

"I think when I feel like it… Besides, I have a big interest in criminals. They're so fun to do research on… Maybe that's what I'll do," She said suddenly as we halted in front of a gate, "I'll be a Jounin specializing in criminal organizations. Sounds pretty fun to me."

"If you want to risk those undercover missions." I muttered. I heard that some shinobi were kidnapped or murdered on those missions. Pretty dangerous for someone like Ruriko, but she didn't seem to care and laughed.

"Hell yea! Dressing up is fun too!" She winked. Akira smirked, not seeming the slightest bit worried. I sighed, shaking my head.

"You should dress up as a geisha." A voice stated. I winced and whipped around to glare as Hajin approached, alone. Ruriko glared at him too, clenching the scroll tightly in her fist.

"To hell with you, shrimp. You're nothing but a parasite!" She snapped, but I saw her eyeing Hajin's spidery tattoos on his chest. I knew she hated spiders and bugs equally, even if it was a tattoo. Hajin smirked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Hmph… Let's see you keep that attitude throughout the exams." He replied cockily. What did I tell you? Every team has it's own cocky bastard and Hajin was the only one who knew how to set me off. I wanted to slam my maul right into that tiny skull of his, but I dug my nails into my arms to calm me down.

"Che," Ruriko crinkled her nose in disgust, "You're disgusting. Get out of my sight and get ready because as soon as we get past these gates, I'm going to tear your body apart. No joke… I've taken a bite out of other shinobi before and I can definitely have fun doing it to you." Hajin grinned slowly, his pale red eyes flickering dangerously, sending chills up my spine. He seemed a lot creepier when he did that.

"Of course, doll face. I wouldn't have it any other way. I enjoy your hostility. It entertains me." He replied and took a step forward, his hand reaching out. Immediately I whipped my hand out, grabbing his wrist, Akira's hand joining mine on Hajin's arm. Ruriko blinked, looking surprised at our agility. Hajin frowned, then an angry smile split his face as her tore his arm away from us.

"You can't protect your teammates for long," He drawled, "Half the Genin made it this far… And half of them are going to end up dead… As for you, doll face, you'll end up one of the few who I let live, but I'll keep you wrapped up in my web." Ruriko fumed and stomped her foot.

"You're sick! Shove off before I rip your throat out with my teeth, hear me? I'll fucking slaughter you!" She yelled. Hajin only smirked and flicked his hand at us as a wave before walking off. I frowned, then winced when Ruriko punched me in the arm, doing the same to Akira too.

"Don't defend me," She ordered, thrusting a finger in our faces, "I can take care of him myself! He's just a squirt that I could easily turn into a fried shrimp. Don't step in for me because it's only giving him the impression that I'm weak, got it? Keep defending me and you two will end up without a limb too!" Akira and I shared annoyed looks. Ruriko was way overconfident. Her expression had quickly changed when Hajin went to touch her, like she was freaked out. She could nag at us and tear us apart, but we weren't going to let her fight alone… Although, maybe I should have let her try and defend herself…

No, I'm just stupid.

We all got to our gates as Anko blew her whistle, thrusting her arms out.

"OPEN THOSE GATES!" She yelled and the sentinels by the gates cut the chains and padlocks, letting them fall. Immediately, our group rushed in at the same time as the others. Ruriko was ahead of us, being the self-proclaimed leader. Akira and I at her sides as we bolted through the trees and brush.

"You got the scroll, Ruriko?" Akira asked to be certain, since Ruriko had the tendency to be forgetful. She rolled her eyes.

"Yea… I'm hiding it." She replied. I frowned.

"Where? Don't take offense by it, but you don't wear that much clothing." I replied. Ruriko blushed and scowled.

"Shut the hell up! I do too. I have two- Never mind! All right, we're supposed to be looking for scrolls that contain information and this forest is almost as big as our village… And there's probably no chance of convincing you guys to split up, right?" She asked with a smirk and a shrug.

"NO!" Akira and I barked in unison. Ruriko sighed and looked up through the trees, giving it a disgusted look.

"There's bound to be tons of bugs and spiders… And brats." She added bitterly.

"We're up against tons of violent, Chuunin-rabid Genin and all you can think about are the insects?" Akira demanded, putting his hands on his hips. Ruriko smirked. I sighed and frowned.

"Wait… Ruriko, what sort of information did Hioshi give you on those criminals you mentioned?" I asked. Ruriko beamed and it was a bit odd to see her face light up with excitement.

"Well," She began eagerly, "The Akatsuki is a huge criminal organization set on kidnapping all the Biju in the world! They're being led by a man by the name of Pein, who is also the current leader of the Rain Village! There are rumors that he's actually under the control of a much higher power!"

"Whoa, hold up!" Akira protested. I sweat dropped. Ruriko folded her arms over her chest, pouting a bit stubbornly.

"Yes?" She asked, her voice sharp. Akira averted his eyes with a weak smile, then held up a finger matter-of-factly.

"You said this criminal leader is in charge of the Rain Village, right?"

"Yea?"

"Hajin is from the Rain Village. What if he didn't join the exams so he could become Chuunin?" Akira asked. Ruriko blinked and let her arms drop to her sides as she tilted her head thoughtfully.

"It makes sense," I jumped in, "Why wouldn't a criminal organization send pawns out to gather research on people who oppose them? I'd do it if I were this guy." Ruriko smirked.

"Okay, this'll be fun. We get to take down an S-ranked Criminal… While trying to become Chuunin at the same time!" She barked, glaring at us. Akira shrugged.

"At least we figured something out." He replied. Ruriko frowned, folding her arms over her chest.

"Just how in gods' name do we prove that? In the researching world, proof is extremely important. Right now, we're just coming up with possibilities that Hajin might be a pawn of Akatsuki's." She explained. Akira raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe you should be an information ninja like Hioshi… You're almost sounding like him. All you need to do is lock yourself in your room, wear pajamas all day long, and get that evil glare going. You two could almost be mistaken for each other, if you cut your hair." He added.

"And got rid of your big boobs." I coughed. Ruriko went red and whipped around to glare at me, grabbing the front of my cloak, holding a fist in my face.

"I do not have big boobs, you stinking pervert! If you weren't part of my team, I'd slaughter you and feed you to the spider brat!" She yelled in my face. I smirked. There was no denying that Ruriko was cute when she was mad. She was too busy yelling at me and I was too busy laughing at her to notice that Akira was staring up into the trees overhead.

"Uh, guys…?" He tried.

"Wait until I tell Kazuya about this! Kazuya will get you if I don't!" Ruriko yelled at me.

"Calm down. I coulda kept going on about you~" I cooed.

"Shut up!"

"Guys…?"

"WHAT?" We demanded, glaring at Akira, who sweat dropped. He pointed up just as a kunai shot down from above in front of Akira's feet. Akira yelped and leapt back. Ruriko and I jumped back as well, jerking our heads up as a familiar dark haired Genin came falling from the leaves with his two teammates. Osamu stood up, holding a kunai in his grip and a smirk on his face.

"It was pretty easy finding you guys, screaming and all." He added. Akira glared at Ruriko and I, who both looked in separate directions with a huff.

"To make things easier," Osamu continued, "You guys can just give up your scroll and we'll be on our way… It doesn't look like you're in the mood to fight with us anyway."

"Bullshit," Ruriko yelled, whipping out her kunai, "I'll smash your face in the dirt!" Akira flinched, but reluctantly pulled out his kunai. Osamu frowned a little. He probably assumed Akira and Ruriko were all talk. Sure, they had a loud bark, but they had a good bite to follow through with it. Ruriko jumped ahead, slashing her kunai at Osamu, who whipped around to block it, their kunai clanging and echoing through the trees as they pushed back. Akira went right ahead and attacked Kishi, who easily blocked his attack with her own kunai.

I rolled my eyes. We couldn't even take a second to talk, but that didn't surprise me. I took my chance to make a few hand signs, attacking their last member, Eiji, who was moving his hands faster than I could see them. In a flash, stalagmites shot up from the ground. I winced, not even able to finish my hand signs before I had to jump into the air, pushing off a tree trunk and shooting up higher into the trees. He was faster than me… I definitely wasn't a ninjutsu person.

As soon as I landed on a perch, I managed to make a few hand signs, an explosion of lightening blasting downwards toward the earth. To my relief, Ruriko and Akira had managed to dodge the attack. I was pleased to see that the electricity had bounced around, scorching Osamu and Eiji in the process, Kishi getting lucky enough to jump away in time.

As Eiji moved for another ninjutsu, I had to think fast. I caught up with him just as he released a water jutsu up at me. I winced and finished off a useless fire jutsu that was dosed as I leapt back. Of course, that didn't help and I ended up getting soaking wet, slamming into the tree's trunk.

We were wasting our time doing this. The point was to get the opponent's scroll. Being all the way up here away from them wasn't going to help. I had to get down there and tackle that kid to see if he had the scroll. Then it'd be one down and two to go. I struggled to get up, then quickly ran along the branch before jumping down, grabbing my maul from it's place on my back. Eiji flinched and he leapt back, just as my weapon collided with the ground between a pair of stalagmites. The tall structures crumbled and fell apart around us as the ground seemed to dent inwards. Eiji managed to dodge some falling rubble, his eyes locking on me behind his glasses.

Normally, this would be a good time to make some smartass comment, but that wasn't my style, so I simply swung my maul back up, hooking it onto my back before bolting forward. He blocked my punch to his face easily, knocking my arm away to get me in the gut, but I dodged to the side. I got a glimpse of his kunai pouch, but it didn't seem like the scroll was in there…

Then again, Ruriko said she didn't put hers in her pouch. She put it somewhere safe… The boy wasn't wearing anything heavy that could hide a scroll, but I couldn't make assumptions. If I went to help Akira or Ruriko, he'd be on my tail and ready to put me out of submission. I had to keep fending off Eiji's swift attacks, glancing over at Akira and Ruriko. Akira seemed to be holding his own against Kishi and he had more cuts on his face to join the one Anko gave him…

But I guessed it wasn't because Akira was flirting with her. He knew when to get down to business. Ruriko was doing a lot of yelling, which meant Osamu said something to piss her off. I frowned and did a quick back flip, skidding backwards along the ground. If Ruriko was mad, that meant she was going to either get herself hurt or all of us hurt. I had to hurry and put this kid out or else we're all screwed.

I went to make a hand sign, but Eiji was way ahead of me as if he was reading my mind. A water jutsu slammed right into me, sending me crashing into a stalagmite. My body immediately exploded with pain. I gasped and crumpled to my knees, holding my ribs. I felt something poking my skin and knew right away that I had broken a rib. I jerked my head up as Eiji swung out an array of shuriken, but he seemed more hesitant now. I couldn't duck in time, one of the shuriken pinning my hand to the ground.

A new stinging pain exploded up my arm, giving me a serious headache. Eiji was coming at me, but I picked up one of the fallen shuriken, swinging it at him. It almost hit his feet, but he jumped up and landed right in front of me. I really didn't want to say anything, but I might as well.

"You won't find anything," I told him under my breath, panting harshly past the searing pain, "I don't have the scroll." Eiji's eyes wandered upwards to watch his teammates. I took my chance and tore the shuriken from my hand, jumping up and tackling him to the ground. Eiji gave a slight yelp and pushed up on my chest. I held him pinned down, despite the shocking agony in my bloody hand.

"And who has the scroll on your team?" I asked. Eiji kept his mouth shut, biting into his lip stubbornly, refusing to speak. I smirked.

"Then I'll search you if you won't tell me and when I'm done with you, I'll beat your team." I told him and grabbed the front of his shirt. He winced and swung his hand up, grabbing my bloody one and gripping it tightly. I cried out and tried to wiggle my hand away, but Eiji kept his grip on my hand, his fingers digging into the bloody hole on the top of my hand. I screamed and tried to tear my hand back, but that only made it hurt worse.

"Nero!" I heard Ruriko yell my name and a loud explosion behind me. Through the agony in my hand, worry shot up into my throat as another yell of pain. I started to lean down to bite him on the hand, pulling a Ruriko, but I felt someone's foot collide with my gut, making me wince and fly back into the ground. I slammed up against a stalagmite, gasping in pain. I looked up with a wince to see Kishi pulling Eiji to his feet. I gripped the shuriken in my fist, then swung it forward, but missed Kishi's face by an inch when Eiji's hand shot out to grab it. He threw it back, but I ducked just in time.

In a second, Akira was by my side, pulling me to my feet.

"Get up, Nero! Osamu and Ruriko went up into the trees!" He yelled at me. I nodded a little, grimacing as Akira helped me to my feet. He had a bad cut on his shoulder, which was seeping blood like a leaky faucet, but he didn't show that it hurt. Eiji and Kishi shared a short conversation under their breathes, then shot up into the trees to find Osamu. Akira and I shared looks and shot after. As we neared the higher parts of the forest, we could hear yelling and cursing accompanied with clangs and explosions.

As Akira and I came to a halt by Eiji and Kishi, we were met with a hot blast of flames from a fire jutsu Osamu blasted, scorching the trees and other plants. I grimaced, watching Ruriko do a back flip, landing on a far branch, breathing hard. Her headband was long gone, probably having fallen off down below. Her vest was sliced open in the front, revealing a blood stained jumpsuit, her skort also having been cut up.

Even so, she wore a confident smirk on her face as she took out a few shuriken. Osamu laughed from her perch on a tree branch in a crouched position.

"Didn't I tell you those weren't going to help you?" He yelled at her.

"No, but throwing things at you makes me feel better!" Ruriko barked back and flung them right at him. Osamu ducked them, catching one through the hole in the middle and flinging it back. I winced when I saw Ruriko jump over it. Her hands moved in a blur, almost as fast as Eiji's, creating a lightening jutsu. Blue zigzags of electricity blasted out over the forest, scorching things and even breaking branches to bits. Osamu winced and managed to dodge a few shocks, getting hit on his cheek and hip.

He landed back to his feet on a lower branch as Ruriko leapt off her own. Akira cursed.

"Crap… Nero, did you make sure Eiji didn't have a scroll?" He demanded. I nodded. Akira looked up.

"That means Osamu has it…" He muttered. Kishi perked up, glancing at Eiji, who was holding a cut on his cheek.

"Eiji, that guy didn't have the scroll?" She demanded. Eiji shook his head. Kishi whipped around and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"OSAMU! That girl has the-" Akira came up behind her, tackling her to the branch. Kishi yelped, wincing. Eiji made a grab at her, but I came up behind him, grabbing him around the waist and covering his mouth with one hand in case he decided to speak.

"Ugh!" Kishi squirmed and writhed to escape Akira's grip on her arms that were twisted behind her back.

"No way you're opening that pretty little mouth of yours." Akira smirked, digging his nails into her wrists. I held onto Eiji despite his wiggling around and glanced up as Ruriko tackled Osamu to a tree branch. I saw Osamu's eyes shoot up to his teammates after hearing the beginning of Kishi's yell. His eyes widened. Ruriko, however, slammed him back into the tree branch.

"You're done for…!" I heard her yell and she made a grab at his throat, but Osamu swung his elbow up into Ruriko's gut, making her wince. He grabbed her hand and whipped her around. Ruriko lost her balance and yelped, slipping forward off the branch. Instinct kicked in and I released Eiji, bolting for Ruriko.

"Osamu, she has the scroll!" Eiji managed to get out, his voice sounding kind of shaky. Osamu winced and whirled around to go after Ruriko. I knew it wasn't good to leave Akira alone with Eiji and Kishi, but I had to get to Ruriko before Osamu did. I pushed off the underside of the tree branch I was on, catching Ruriko around the waist and jerking her out of Osamu's way just in time before he could grab her kunai pouch. I slammed into a tree branch, keeping Ruriko close to me as we hit it. I heard her gasp against my chest as we came to a stop after hitting the tree trunk.

I struggled to push myself up, panting in pain. Ruriko was underneath me, groaning a little and spitting up a glob of blood. I looked down at her, holding the place where my rib was now sticking out of my skin. Ruriko grimaced and looked like she was gonna scream at me, but stopped when she saw the blood bubbling out of the place where my rib was coming out. She stared.

"Nero…"

"Dummy," I muttered, "They know you have the scroll now. Osamu's probably on his way to get it thanks to Eiji. Give me the scroll. I'll take off somewhere and hide. You and Akira have to try and fend them off, got it?" Ruriko blinked and nodded, then glared.

"Don't look."

"What'd you mean?"

"… Just don't." She muttered. I rolled my eyes and pretended to close my eyes, peeking past them. No wonder… She hit the scroll in her bra. She slammed it into my face, making me smirk at her. I took the scroll and shoved it in an inside pocket of my cloak, then rose to my feet, jerking Ruriko up with me. She stumbled slightly. We stared at each other for a moment before we heard crashing and looked up. Ruriko smirked and looked back at me.

"Now go, Nero! You're wounded and can't fight!" She yelled dramatically and shoved me. I laughed a little and before she could think, I grabbed her by her vest and kissed her quickly on the forehead before shooting off into the trees. I got the pleasure of seeing her turn pink before screaming curses after me. I shot through the trees as fast as I could in my injured state, hearing more explosions behind me. I hoped Osamu showed up after I disappeared because there was no way I could defend myself again Eiji or Kishi by now.

I also hoped I wouldn't run into any other teams on my way through the trees. I hopped from tree branch to tree branch, each landing sending pain through my body. I could feel the rib sticking out of my skin, pushing back and forth, practically sawing. I tried to push it back, but that only made the pain worse.

I finally had to take a break, landing on an array of tree branches that were all looped together with vines and leaves. It made a nice resting place. I collapsed to my knees, breathing hard as I watched blood trickle from my mouth and to the wood and leaves. I reached into my pocket and took out the scroll, frowning at it.

Anko said not to open it… A genjutsu trap was going to smack me in the face, but it had more information on the criminals… Wouldn't that tempt us? Of course… I bet half the teams out there already opened it… I tucked the scroll away and struggled to get to my feet, only to fall back down.

Great. Now I was stuck… I glanced around in hopes of finding a hiding place. That's when I heard it. The high-pitched maniacal laughter. My body stiffened and I felt all the color drain from my face before I jerked my head up, whipping around to find the source. Panic was surging through me uncontrollably and I tried to get to my feet again, but failed. My legs were shaking and my eyes were darting around. The laugher echoed off the trees, just like it did in my nightmare. I grasped at my chest and yelped in pain when my hand hit my broken rib. I whipped around frantically, my breathing coming out in short gasps.

I dropped my hands, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to calm down, but I was slowly failing. My fears were realized when I felt someone grab me from behind around my waist. I screamed and my paranoia let loose. Adrenaline numbed the pain in my body and I tore away from the grip, scrambling away and getting to my feet. I whipped around to see nothing there. I looked around quickly, the laughter still ringing in my ears.

My head started to throb in pain, spiking throughout my entire body, exploding microscopically. I clasped my hands over my ears, squeezing my eyes shut and screaming at the top of my lungs.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Whoa, I am so having fun with this… I'm a tad of a sadist. :'D I hope you're all enjoying this, and yes, more OCs to come! Patience is a virtue~ Thanks for reading, hope all your characters are in character, and your reviews are super delightful and inspiration so much more! ^^~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Aaack, my hands are killing me… :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Hajin**

**Zoki**

**Ayano**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV again! Yea, I keep switching… Sorry! :'D**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Seven: **Ignoring the Nightmares**

After watching Nero disappear into the trees, I whipped back around in time for Osamu to come crashing through some tree branches. I was ready for him, though, and slammed my fist into his face as soon as he landed in front of me. He winced, jumping back, holding his jaw as the corner of his mouth trickling a droplet of blood. I smirked.

Course, I was still peeved at Nero for kissing me, but for some reason, I felt a whole lot better and ran at Osamu again, reeling my fist back. He ducked it and went to grab my leg, but I jumped up and kicked him back, causing him to skid along the branch.

"Give me that scroll already!" Osamu ordered, making a grab at me, but I dodged to the side, laughing.

"Make me, asshole!" I responded and I swung my foot up, kicking him square in the wrist and making him yelp. He grabbed my neck quickly, making me wince. He clenched his fingers and jerked me up off my feet.

"Fun times over. Hand over the scroll!" He ordered. I smirked, despite the pain in my neck as I dug my nails into his hand.

"Fuck you! I don't have it!" I yelped. Osamu's black eyes flashed, narrowing.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" He demanded. I laughed as best I could.

"Think about it, cutie." I retorted. Osamu's eyes sharpened and he dropped me, jumping back and cursing.

"Shit… Che! Just you wait… I'll come back for you!" He snapped and shot up through the trees. I watched him go, glaring before spitting blood onto the tree branch and rubbing my throat. Within moments, Akira came down from a branch above. His headband was cut as well as his face and his sweatshirt was torn open to reveal a bloody gash across his chest.

"That wasn't fun…" He mumbled, rubbing at his eye were a cut had run through. I smiled weakly and patted his shoulder.

"Liar…" I replied. Akira gave me a weird look, sort of an upset kind of mixed with a smile.

"Look at you… You're a mess… You haven't looked that bad since the day you beat up that bully at the academy." He said and pulled me into a tight hug. I rolled my eyes, getting the heavy scent of blood and sweat off him, but hugged him for a split second anyway before wiggling away.

"We need to go find Nero. He ran off with the scroll toward the center of the forest. Hopefully he-" I was cut off by a faint, but very real sound. It sounded like someone screaming. Akira and I shared looks, then shot off in that direction.

"You don't think that's Nero, do you?" Akira asked worriedly. I frowned, pushing off tree branches and getting ahead a little.

"I hope to gods' not. I've never heard Nero scream like before, except for the time he was locked in that closet back at the academy. Whoever scared him is about to find themselves six feet under!" I announced angrily and shot up ahead until the scream was clear as daylight. Akira and I skidded to a stop in a clearing of tree branches all connected together by vines and leaves. Nero was knelt in the center of it all, shaking like crazy and covering his ears. He was screaming at something to shut up, but I couldn't hear a thing…

"The scroll!" Akira gasped. I stared, seeing the scroll thrown open across the branches.

"What the hell? He opened the scroll!" Akira cried, starting forward, but I grabbed him and jerked him back roughly.

"No, he didn't," I muttered, "Someone else did. Don't be stupid, Akira. What purpose would Nero have with a scroll with written information when he can't even read?" Akira blinked, then went stone still beside me. The only sounds were Nero's screams and birds fluttering away in fright.

"Someone opened the scroll in front of him and plunged him into the Genjutsu… And whatever Genjutsu it is, it's super strong. Akira, you're better at Genjutsu than I am. You have to release him from the Genjutsu and fast! If people hear him screaming, they'll come after us and we're in no shape to be fighting right now." I ordered. Akira nodded and inched toward Nero while I kept watch. It was hard to tell if anyone was coming near with Nero screaming at the top of his lungs.

I watched Akira get beside Nero, making a hand sign and touching his palm to Nero's forehead. Nero seemed to stiffen, his whole body going still as his eyes widened, seeming pretty cloudy from the Genjutsu before he blinked rapidly, dropping his hands. I ran up to them.

"Nero! Nero, what the hell happened?" I demanded, dropping on my knees in front of him. Nero grimaced a little, holding the side of his head.

"I don't know… I was sitting here, taking a break… I took out the scroll for a split second and then I heard…" He stopped talking and just shuddered. Akira frowned.

"Nero, was there anyone near you when you took out the scroll?" He asked. Nero scanned the ground thoughtfully, then shook his head.

"I don't remember…"

"Great," I muttered, "And whoever opened the scroll in front of you, must still be around… They wouldn't have given up so quickly."

"So… Who did it?" Akira asked and glanced around the clearing. I frowned.

"I don't care. Right now, Nero needs serious medical help. He's got a broken rib and he's losing a lot of blood… I'm surprised you haven't passed out from blood loss yet. Akira, you're better at healing than I am. Try your best to heal him. I'll keep watch." I explained.

"Sounds like a plan." Nero muttered.

"And hopefully it works better than the one with Kazuya and training." Akira added under his breath. I smirked, but was still tempted to smack Akira, but gave in when he managed to lift Nero up in his arms, carrying him toward a tree that had been eaten through, creating a pretty good resting place. Akira set Nero against the bark, making a few hand signs after taking out some bandages. I sat outside in front of the opening, hugging my knees to my chest as I stuck band-aids on my cuts, sighing a little sleepily. I was exhausted and just really wanted to sleep. I felt my eyes drifting closed, but that's when I saw it.

My eyes widened from their sleepy state, going on full alert as I saw a black creature scuttling across the clearing. Before I knew it, I was screaming, leaping to my feet.

"Good gods! SPIDER! A FUCKING HUGE SPIDER! AKIRA! NEROOO!" I shrieked, jumping back through the opening. Without any exaggeration whatsoever, the spider was almost as big as a full grown man! It had eight, red beady eyes plastered on its huge black hairy body as it came across the clearing. I screamed again and this time, both Nero and Akira were at my side.

"Ew! Disgusting!" Akira cried. Nero winced.

"Shit, that thing is huge…" He muttered. Instinctively, I grabbed onto Nero's arm, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Gross, gross! One of you go kill it!" I wailed. Normally, I wouldn't spazz out like this, but I swear, I had a serious case of arachnophobia. Nero looked at Akira, who yelped, pointing at himself.

"Me? Why me?" He yelled.

"Because she's clinging to me!" Nero yelled back angrily. Akira whipped around just as the spider reared back, throwing the front of its huge body up and let out a screeching roar sort of sound. I screamed.

"Akira!" Nero barked. Akira groaned.

"Why me?" He complained and quickly made a few hand signs, gathering up his chakra and blasting it forward as a tornado of flames. The spider shrieked and screamed, throwing itself around in the whirlwind of hot flames. A heavy, horrid stench filled the area, making me gasp and bury my face in Nero's bloody cloak.

"Ugh, what the hell is that smell?" Akira whined and covered his nose. Nero put his other arm over his nose, grimacing.

"I don't know, but that thing's long gone… And pissed off about it." He muttered. I peeked up, watching the spider's body slowly burn into a pile of ash. Not seconds later, did the source of the spider arise. Hajin made his dramatic appearance by pulling himself up out of the ash, his black hair brushed over his ash stained face and he looked pretty upset that his pet was dead.

"That was pretty rude… He just wanted to play." Hajin grinned evilly, standing up straight. From up above, Ayano and Zoki both jumped down beside their leader with battle-ready expressions. Rage boiled my blood and I jerked away from Nero, thrusting a finger at him.

"You asshole! You fucking little asshole! I'll slaughter you for that!" I yelled and whipped my hands into a frenzy of hand signs. Hajin smirked, but it immediately fled. My jutsu spun in a straight forward whirlwind of electricity, however, Ayano bolted forward and deflected it as if it were nothing, her pose swift . She stood in a straight position, her mismatched eyes glaring daggers at me for attacking her leader, who didn't seem to happy to be protected.

"Ayano," Hajin barked, "Your loyalty is appreciated, but fight your own battles!" Ayano bowed her head, her short red hair brushing by her cheeks.

"Yes, sir." She replied quietly and easily stepped back.

"Ignore her," Hajin told me with a sly smirk, "She has the tendency to be out of line…"

"Hey," Akira spoke up quickly, making Hajin roll his eyes, "We have a question! If you're Rain shinobi, that means you're under the control of a man called Pein, right?" Hajin's pale red eyes flickered darkly, his expression becoming dangerous.

"How do you know that?" He demanded. I smirked.

"I told him. My other older brother, Hioshi, is an information Jounin back at our village and gathered a lot of information on the leader of the infamous criminal organization called Akatsuki, which Pein is also the rumored co-leader. If you're under orders by Pein, that must mean you're not here to pass the exams. You're here because you're also an information gatherer." I informed confidently. Hajin smirked dangerously now, making me a bit uneasy on the inside.

"… I love smart girls. They're so hard to find nowadays. You'll definitely make the perfect person… Now all I have to do is get rid of your teammates." He replied and thrust both his hands out. Zoki and Ayano both went for Nero and Akira, who stiffened before jumping into defense mode. I flinched when Hajin ran at me, a kunai in his fist.

I dodged to the side, only to have him grab my vest and tear me to the branch underneath him as he held the kunai to my throat.

"Of course, I won't put you under yet. I'll let you listen to the sound of your teammates being tortured to death." Hajin sneered. I glared at him.

"You're a dirty little snot, you know that?" I spat in his face. Hajin smirked despite this. As I was just thinking how screwed we were, a familiar sound burst into the clearing. Hajin and I both jerked our heads up in alarm, staring at the being who made himself famously known.

"Naughty, naughty Genin!" Botan laughed maniacally, hopping from a branch above and landing in the clearing. Hajin's eyes flashed as if he recognized the guy as much as my team did.

"Shit." He cursed and grabbed onto my vest, jerking me backwards roughly. I yelped.

"Hey! Fucking-"

"Zoki, Ayano," Hajin ordered loudly, "Defend!" The twins flicked their eyes up, abandoning they're previous battle to stand in front of Hajin, Akira, Nero, and I. I glared at the spider brat.

"What the-"

"I'm not friend of Akatsuki's," Hajin told me bitterly, "My father was a previous lord of the Wind Country before he was assassinated by Orochimaru during the last Chuunin Exams. Yea, I deal with information and that's how I know the members of the infamous criminal trio, Gin'iro Ni Kagayaku Tsuki." My eyes flashed.

That's how they were familiar! The legendary trio of criminals that were known to have links with several other criminal organizations, many of which including Akatsuki AND Orochimaru!

Botan stood up straight, clapping his sleeve-covered hands as he laughed wildly.

"Ne, ne! Such a smart little information broker! Botan is impressed!" He giggled, practically putting on an innocent 'squee' face.

"Don't act all innocent," Hajin spat at him, then frowned at my team, "Maruyama Botan. Age twenty-eight, the youngest of the Silver Moon group. Known for his laughter that signals the changing of his double-personality… As well his cannibalistic nature and-"

"Stop it, stop it," Botan cried, waving his sleeve at us childishly, "You're ruining Botan's dramatic and mysteriousness-ness!" Hajin glared at him then swung his hand out.

"Zoki! Ayano, attack!" He ordered.

"Why do they obey your every command?" I demanded, watching the twins move at Botan, who just smirked playfully. Hajin frowned.

"They're puppets," He replied, "Of my last teammates." I grimaced. We looked up just as Daiki and Miyuki both hopped from above. Miyuki came down gracefully and easily slammed her foot down into Ayano's head, causing splinters to go flying as Ayano sank to the ground. Daiki came down more roughly, swinging his arm back into Zoki's face and knocking him back into the branch.

"Damn." Hajin and I cursed at the same time. He smirked and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"What the hell do you guys want? I thought you said you were watching the exams, not getting into it!" I spat at them. Daiki came forward first after patting Botan on the head, earning a slight blush and a small whine from him.

"Silly girl… We have a mission, don't we, Botan? I think I promised you a new pet." He added, gesturing toward Nero, who flinched back beside me. Botan laughed out loud, clapping his hands again.

"Yes, yes! Pretty pet, pretty pet!" He yelled happily.

"Leave Nero alone! You guys fuck off or we'll kill you!" I threatened. Daiki laughed, then gave an oddly warm smile.

"But, dear… You wouldn't really kill one of the few relatives you have now would you?" He asked. I stiffened and Akira twitched.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He barked. Daiki smirked at him a bit dangerously, like he was waiting for Akira to speak up.

"Ahh, that's good… My little murderer can talk now, can't he?" He asked. I gasped and looked at Akira, who's face drained of color.

"M-M…" He couldn't speak now, his body trembling. Hajin frowned.

"What's he talking about?" He demanded. I grimaced, shooting a harsh glare at Daiki.

"Akira… Killed our parents while we were still in the academy… And you have no right to call him a murderer for it! They were already planning to kill us in the first place!" I yelled. Daiki's dark gray eyes flashed angrily.

"Kishiko would have never killed her own children! I would know! She was my little sister!" He barked. I stared at him.

"Wh-What…?" I managed. Daiki smiled a little, sadly now with all traces of anger vanishing almost completely.

"Kishiko was the perfect girl. She was all smiles. She was the only reason I ever came home… She tried to talk me out of killing sensei, but I was sick and tired of being bossed around by someone who was lower than me… So I killed him, but the village elders found out and sent assassins after me… They also sent them after Kishiko… She ran away to Sunagakure, last I knew. I wanted to visit her, but I was too afraid she'd blame me for having to flee… I knew she had kids because I sent Miyuki to investigate. Kishiko seemed so happy with her new family… Of course, you were just a baby then, Ruriko… I was happy when I found out Kishiko was happy. I could live my life peacefully…"

"But," Daiki began, coldly now, "I heard those assassins had discovered Kishiko's whereabouts… I heard she grew fearful and wanted to flee again, however, she was killed before she could. By her own son." Daiki's accusing glare locked on Akira, who was trembling beside me.

"Akira-" I started, but Akira cut me off by screaming, making me gasp in surprise.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! They were going to kill us! I heard her and daddy talking all about it! Mommy said she was going to kill us! She said she had to if we were gonna get rid of the bad guys!" He screamed, clasping his hands over his ears and collapsing to his knees. I gulped.

"A-Akira… Akira, don't cry…" I tried, but it was useless. Tears were streaming down Akira's face as he squeezed his eyes shut, sobbing.

"Let him," Daiki ordered, glaring, "He should suffer for killing his parents. Even I have never done such a thing… And I'm the one who was pulling some strings during the attack on Konohagakure at the last Chuunin Exams."

"Asshole," I barked at him, feeling my eyes sting slightly with tears, "I don't care what Akira's done! He's my big brother and nobody hurts him, except me! Go fuck yourself and leave my brothers alone!" Daiki smirked dangerously.

"No can do, little niece. I'm going to make your brother suffer for killing Kishiko… Not to mention, I keep my promises to my teammates… Botan, feel free to claim your prize. Miyuki, you know what to do." Miyuki and Botan nodded. I winced and quickly went to make hand signs. Hajin swung his hands outwards, his fingers splayed out.

"Zoki! Ayano, up! Defend!" He ordered. The puppets didn't even clatter, sounding like normal humans as they struggled to get up. They even bled like normal humans, which amazed me. I quickly released a lightening jutsu, but it was easily blocked by Daiki, who smirked. Zoki went at Botan with a kunai, but Botan grinned to show off a pair of sharpened canines and swung his arm up and out to reveal long, sharp nails that he slashed at him with. Zoki's head seemed to slid right off onto the ground with a wet plop, his body following suit. Hajin cursed.

Ayano was easily cast aside, her body slamming limply into a tree branch.

"Can't you do something else?" I demanded. Hajin glared at me.

"Can't YOU?" He demanded. I opened my mouth to comment, but a hand grabbed the front of my jumpsuit, jerking me off my feet. Hajin winced as he was shoved to the ground. I gasped, realizing Daiki was lifting me off the ground almost to his height! I cried out in surprise, wincing.

"Watch your friends vanish and your brother die." He murmured. I gasped and glanced at Akira, who was still shaking, barely trying to stand. Botan had Nero pinned down, having thrown him to the ground. Hajin could only sit back and watch with an expression of pure hatred. I gritted my teeth. The sickening sensation of helplessness was making me sick to my stomach and I wanted to cry, but I bit into my lip to fight the feeling.

I squeezed my eyes shut and waited to die, but then I heard a familiar shout from above. I jerked my head up, my eyes going wide.

"Is that anyway to treat a young lady?" Daisuke yelled with a smirk on his face. For once, a smile spread across my face.

"Daisuke!" I yelled happily. Daisuke grinned.

"Another boyfriend?" Daiki muttered. I blushed angrily.

"Fuck off!" I barked and swung my foot up into Daiki's chest. Daiki gasped and dropped me. I winced, expecting to hit the ground, but Hajin caught me, which surprised me. Daiki leapt back, as Daisuke came landing onto the tree branch. Miyuki stopped, jerking her head in Daisuke's direction. Botan looked up from hassling Nero, pouting.

"Looks like I showed up just in time. Next time call for my help." Daisuke told me with a wink. I rolled my eyes, but smirked anyway.

"I so owe you." I told him. Daisuke smirked, then looked at Daiki, who glared at him.

"Well, isn't he a scary character?" He asked under his breath. I frowned, poking Daisuke's shoulder.

"His name is Tsukuyomi Daiki…. He's my uncle and he's not very nice." I pointed out. Daisuke sweat dropped.

"Oh great… A family dispute?" He asked.

"Just do something before he kills my teammates and Hajin!" I yelled. Daisuke blinked, looking at me in confusion.

"Hajin? I thought-"

"Go!" I interrupted quickly, pushing on Daisuke's back. Daisuke stumbled a bit as I whipped around to glare at Hajin, who was glaring back at me suspiciously.

"Help me save my teammates. I don't care what you want, I'll give it to you, but help me save them." I told him firmly. Hajin slowly smirked.

"Is that so? Then I accept… Besides, your uncle is giving me a migraine." He added and brought his hands together in a hand sign. I grimaced a little, holding my side where a cut had begun to seep blood as I looked up to see Daiki wearing an angry expression.

This is what I get for not listening to Nero about his nightmare…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Ack, the end was rushed and I apologize, but the next chapter will be totally epic… ;D Yes, attack of the random OCs… Anyway, I forgot to mention. Kishiko, Ruriko and Akira's mother, used her last name stupidly for their family, which is how she was figured out… C: So that explains why their mother's brother has the same name as them… So, thanks for reading, hope all the OCs are in character, and your reviews are always the best thing in the world to me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**WOO! THIS IS LONG. I love it~ ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES. I also do not own any of the OCs that are introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Hajin (and his puppets)**

**Kishiko (even though she's dead. ;D)**

**A/N: This is in Ruriko's point of view, but then it switches to Nero's point of view. Pardon if the beginning is rushed! I got nervous since someone was watching me type that. O.o I have trouble writing when people are peering over my shoulder. T.T**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Eight: **The Deal is Struck! Goodbye, Pet!**

Standing there face-to-face with the enemy was making me uncomfortable. Daiki didn't give off a friendly aura at all, even if he was smiling. He looked ready to tear everyone apart if they got in the way of his sick sadistic plans to torture my brother and kidnap my friend. Daiki thrust both his hands out, smiling the whole time.

"Miyuki, Botan. Take both of them away. I have to discuss some things with my little niece." He ordered.

"Yes, Daiki-sama!" Botan beamed and gripped Nero tightly, shooting up into the trees. Miyuki grabbed Akira and hoisted him over her shoulder before shooting up as well. I jerked my head up, then looked at Daisuke.

"Daisuke-"

"I'll take spider boy here and go after Nero-"

"And Akira?"

"Sora and Mai!" Daisuke beamed. I blinked and just as he spoke, Sora and Mai came flashing down onto the tree branch.

"That's nifty." I murmured. Daisuke smirked, then glanced toward Daiki, before looking back at me.

"If you need any help, holler. There should be more back up coming." He told me and shot off, Hajin rolling his eyes and shooting after. Sora and Mai shared looks, then Sora looked at me.

"Good luck." Sora told me. I caught her sleeve before she could move.

"Sora… Please, help my brother." I said quietly. Sora blinked, then smiled.

"I will… Promise." With that, she whipped around with Mai and they were off. I looked at Daiki, who smiled calmly.

"It's nice of you to give us some privacy so we can talk… I have a deal to make with you." He stated. I glared, clenching my fists at my sides.

"Screw you! I wouldn't make a deal with someone who's pestering my teammates." I snapped angrily, reaching for a kunai. Daiki chuckled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Then I guess you don't want information on the 'certain' criminals for this portion of the exams?" He asked. I frowned, pausing and clenching my fist over my kunai.

"What kind of information?" I demanded. Daiki smirked and gestured his arms out.

"There are several different criminals that you need information on. Three of those I can help you out with. Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and of course, the Silver Moon." He replied. I glared at him, tensing up. I know I shouldn't even begin to consider the deal. The fact that he probably wanted Nero and Akira in exchange for the information.

"I can't accept your deal," I retorted, "I need my teammates to pass the exams." Daiki smiled.

"That's why the deal is… If I give you all the information I have on those three criminal organizations, you give me Nero and Akira by the end of the exams, whether you all make Chuunin rank or not." He explained. I paused, standing up straight. I'd probably be smacked for considering this, but the deal was very interesting. Very convincing… Of course, I wouldn't give up Nero and Akira, but there had to be a way around that.

Loopholes.

It's one of those times that I wish Akira was here. He was good with loopholes. Hioshi was too, having taught Akira most of what he knows. I frowned at my feet, trying to think it over. Maybe I should agree to the deal, then tell Akira about it and hopefully he'll find someway around it. Oh, but if he heard I agreed to the deal, he'd have my head. There had to be a way to do this. I looked up at him.

"All right. Let's do this," I stated, making Daiki's smile fade slightly, "I challenge you to a fight. If I can stay alive and have you on the ground below us first, I get the information and my teammates. But if you pin me down below, then we'll strike that deal. How's that sound?" Daiki's smile twisted into a sadistic grin.

"You have no idea whom you just challenged, little niece… I won't go easy on you." He stated and held up his hands in a fighting stance. I smirked.

"And you have no idea who you just struck a deal with." I replied tauntingly. Daiki smirked, then held his hands together in a hand sign that I didn't recognize at all! He closed his eyes and the air around him seemed to pulse before he vanished! I blinked and jumped back at the sound of shoes crunching on the branch beneath us.

I yelped when a fist connected with my jaw, sending me flying backwards onto my back on the tree branch. I sat upright, holding my bloody lip.

"What the hell?" I barked. I heard laughter from somewhere and flung a kunai in that direction, but it hit a tree.

"I forgot to mention," Daiki's voice mocked, "I have a unique Kekkei Genkai in which I can change my body to match that of my surroundings… Much like a lizard, but much more effective. Good luck trying to find me… And fight off my friend." With that, Daiki reappeared across the clearing, his hands moving quickly in a hand sign. I winced and scrambled to my feet, just as he placed a summoning jutsu.

Right away, Daiki vanished again as a large lizard took his place. The thing was as big as a house, its scales a deep shade of green to match the vines and leaves around it. It opened its jaws to reveal rows and rows of sharp teeth and a long, slimy purple tongue. Its claws dug into the branches around it as it roared.

It lunged forward, its tongue whipping out and knocking the branch out from under me. I yelped and pushed off the falling branch into the air, taking out my kunai and digging it into the first thing I could… Which conveniently happened to be the lizard's webbed front foot. It roared at me and jerked its foot up. I yelled, but mostly out of excitement. Yea, bad time to start loving the feeling of floating, but it was fun! I managed to use my chakra to connect my feet to a branch up above, looking down at the lizard, who looked up at me, roaring as its tongue whipped around ahead of me.

"Stick that tongue back in your head, dumbass!" I yelled and crouched down, whipping out some paper bombs and hooking them onto my kunai. I flung them downwards, just as the great thing roared again. This time, it was pretty stupid to roar because the kunai flew right in and exploded.

The slimy purple tongue flew off in a spray of blood. I winced and covered my face, peeking down to see the creature scuttle along the branch, whining loudly and lashing out blindly. I smirked, then yelped when I felt someone grab a hold of my vest. I whipped around to kick, losing my balance. I yelled as my feet disconnected, sending me crashing downwards. The huge lizard heard my yell and whipped around, charging right at me. I gasped.

Shit! I was going to die already? No way! I wasn't even that far into the fight!

I yelped when I felt someone catch me quickly, just in time to avoid the lizard's huge jaws. I looked up as Osamu landed on a crunched tree branch below.

"Didn't I say I was coming back?" Osamu demanded, setting me down. I scowled.

"I coulda-"

"No, you were falling to your death. You couldn't stop your own fall." Osamu replied with a smug smirk. I rolled my eyes, then glared.

"Why did you just do that? You coulda let me die and gone to find Nero and get our scroll." I demanded. Osamu frowned, folding his arms over his chest. He was quiet for a second, looking pretty peeved before smirking.

"Because. I wouldn't be able to find Nero if I didn't have you." He retorted.

"You…!"

"Look out!" Osamu barked and grabbed my hand, jerking me off my feet and shooting upwards, grabbing onto a vine just in time for us to miss being hit with a huge explosion of flames. I stared down, and whipped my other hand up to grab onto Osamu's hand.

"Okay, never mind! Thanks!" I called up to him. He smirked, then winced when he jerked his head up. Up above, the vine was slowly being cut by a kunai that was stuck in place beside its dangling form.

"Get ready for a fall." Osamu muttered and the vine snapped. I winced as I watched the lizard down below shrieked and bounded toward where we were going to fall. I let go of Osamu's hand quickly to make a few hand signs.

"Are you suicidal?" Osamu yelled at me.

"More like homicidal! Grab something and hold on!" I ordered, watching him catch another vine that was hanging from above. I still fell downwards, but only for a split second before Osamu caught my ankle with one hand. I winced as he jerked on my ankle, but I finished the jutsu just in time to release an explosion of electrical shocks that zoomed downwards, piercing the lizard so badly he disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke. I smirked.

"Ha! I did it!" I shouted.

"Great, wonderful," Osamu groaned, still holding onto my ankle, "But how the hell are you going to get back up?"

"… You could always let go and we can fall, hoping someone else will catch us."

"Fat chance! Gods, what do you eat?"

"Hey! You jackass!" I yelled angrily, thrusting myself upwards in an attempt to smack at him, but Osamu yelped and his grip let go. I flailed my hands and caught his ankle, making him bark in pain.

"Ow!"

"Ha!" I taunted. Osamu glared at me. I smirked, then winced as I saw Daiki reappear up above, at the top of the vine that Osamu and I were dangling from. He smirked, making hands signs.

"Osamu, let go!"

"Are you crazy?"

"LOOK UP!" I yelled, thrusting a finger upwards. Osamu jerked his head up and cursed loudly, then let go of the vine. I let go of his ankle, making hand signs in return. I used the only thing that came to mind. Within moments, Daiki had to stop his hand signs because the entire clearing filled with a thick, heavy black fog. I hit the ground below, groaning in pain. I reached up to touch my forehead, feeling blood trickling down from a cut somewhere on my head. I rolled over on my gut, grimacing.

"Osamu… Osamu, where are you?" I whispered into the blackness. I heard a little groan from somewhere in front of me and I crawled along the busted branch until I found Osamu on his knees, holding his arm, which was gushing blood from his bicep area. I winced, seeing that his shoulder had dislocated, a bone jutting upwards from his arm.

"Ow." I stated when I saw it. Osamu jerked his head up, then glared.

"Nice job. Now we're both injured."

"Hey, I used one of my only water techniques… It's a perfect getaway thing… But don't yell or else he'll find us. Got it? There's no way you can go on fighting. Here…" I reached into my pocket, pulling out the scroll. Osamu stared.

"I thought Nero-"

"I tore it off him when we were attacked by a huge spider. Take it. I don't need it." I said, tossing it. Osamu caught it with his only available hand, frowning at it before looking at me.

"You can't fight this guy on your own, Ruriko-"

"I know," I sighed, "But I have to get him on the ground below. If I can do that, then I win our deal."

"Deal?"

"Don't ask. I just need to get him on the ground… Do me a favor and just take that thing and go, as far away as you can. Find your teammates and get to the tower… I'll see ya there!" I beamed, flashing him two fingers before I pushed up off the ground into a standing position, then shot off. I managed to find the tree trunk on my way up and started to run along it, ignoring the loud _tak tak tak_ sounds my shoes made as I went up. I whipped out my kunai pouch, crouching down after a bit, digging through it.

I had four paper bombs left and three kunai. I frowned, then sighed and whipped out the kunai, tying paper bombs to it and sticking one in the tree trunk at my feet. I pushed off and managed to catch a vine in the thick fog. I was about to swing off it and find another one, but I heard a loud growling sound and looked up to see a huge tornado of flames, hurling through the fog and whipping it up like a blender.

I flinched and swung off the vine quickly, sailing downwards. I landed on my feet below, then started running along the branch quickly as I heard someone coming up behind me. I whipped around, but I didn't see anything, suspecting Daiki. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw something strange… It looked like one of Daiki's feet. It was running…

Then it clicked. He was running out of chakra. It meant that his blending in thing didn't last long if he kept using strong attacks, like summonings. I smirked and quickly made hand signs. I saw the foot move off to the side and I thrust my hand outwards, electricity crackling around my fingers and wrist before shooting outwards.

Right on target. I heard Daiki yell and his little nifty power shut off to reveal him getting shocked. His clothes and skin scorched before he bolted after me. I yelped and whipped back around, taking off. I caught a vine that was hanging down and swung forward, my feet hitting a tree trunk. I kept my feet to the trunk, running upwards as fast as I could to avoid a harsh lashing wind jutsu that chopped at the tree trunk. The tree creaked and groaned, shifting slightly under my feet. I cursed and quickly slammed a kunai with a paper bomb into it before pushing off and doing a back flip, landing on the tree branch below.

I could only pray Osamu had moved somewhere else as I listened to the gentle sound of the paper bombs hissing. I heard Daiki cursing at me, moving through the dense fog as I squeezed my eyes shut, grabbing onto a vine nearby.

_Tssshhh…_

_CRACKABOOM!_

I yelped as the tree branches below my feet broke apart immediately. I felt the vine I was hanging onto slacken in my hands. I looked up to see the trees jolting and jerking, vines whipping around and leaves screeching. I groaned, then yelled as I found myself falling with all the rubble. I let go of the vine and pushed off on the first piece of rubble I could. I started uselessly climbing up on the falling rubble. I had to stay off the ground below. Daiki was probably thinking the same thing. I had to find him in the mess and hit him with another attack to throw him off balance.

He was thinking the same thing I realized as I heard a loud screaming and lashing sound behind me. I whipped around in time to get thrown into a whirlwind of rubble, crashing downwards.

Within moments, I hit the ground, hard. Pain exploded in every part of my body, my teeth chattering and my head aching horribly. I felt a glob of metallic liquid bubble in my mouth and I coughed it up painfully, letting it dribble down the sides of my mouth. I sucked in a huge gulp of air, wincing as my lungs ached. I forced myself to roll over and spit up the rest of the blood in my mouth.

I propped myself up on my elbows, my entire body shaking from the amount of pain that was coursing through my body. I panted harshly, practically wheezing. I jerked my head up as a pair of shoes made their appearance. Daiki looked down at me, a deep gash across his face, also cutting into his lip. His clothes were torn and scorched. His expression was pained, but slightly amused at the same time.

"That was fun," Daiki murmured to me, his arms folded, "You made some smart moves… And some dumb moves… But in the end, you can't beat someone who is almost ranked as powerful as the Hokage… Looks like I won our bargain." I glared up at him angrily. Daiki then smiled and got down into a sitting position, folding his legs.

"Get up and look at me when I'm talking to you." He ordered. I spat blood at him, but did as he said, forcing myself into a sitting position where I sat on my knees.

"You didn't just fall like 500 feet." I muttered.

"True…" Daiki murmured. I rolled my eyes, then waved my hand, wincing a little at the pain in my wrist.

"All right. Spill. Akatsuki, Orochimaru… And you." I ordered. Daiki smirked.

"You're impatient… Like your mother." He mused. I frowned.

"And tell me about them too… I want to know more about my parents…"

"I see. That I would do for free."

**NERO'S POV~**

My heart was pounding in my throat as I squirmed, Botan still hanging onto me. He had stopped in a tree that was eaten away at the bottom. He was laughing the whole time, hugging me like I was a puppy or something!

"So cute, co cute! Daiki-sama makes Botan so happy," Botan was cooing, picking up a fruit he'd found, "He finally got him a pet… Botan was asking and asking forever, but Daiki-sama told him to wait… And now Botan has his pretty pet…" I squirmed a little and Botan whined at me for it and with his mouth right on my ear, I stopped due to his annoying voice.

"When we all get back," Botan cooed, "Botan's going to bathe you and fix all your wounds… Look! Your rib is broken!" I cried out in pain when his fingers bumped the rib that was poking out of my skin. Botan smirked and pushed on it, probably trying to get it back into place. I screamed in pain and instinct made me grab onto the arm Botan had around my neck. Pain rocketed in my chest as I gasped, wincing. Botan laughed.

"M'so sorry. It'll be all better once Miyuki fixes you." He crooned and nuzzled the side of my head, making me flinch. Botan suddenly sighed, relaxing.

"Now Daiki-sama and Miyuki will leave me alone… You know, we've been together ever since we were put into teams… But they act more like a pair. Daiki-sama only treats me like his pet." He said softly, his grip tightening slightly. I blinked, surprised at how fast his personality seemed to change. I glanced back at Botan, who's expression changed to somewhat sad.

"I'm very grateful, that Miyuki and Daiki-sama saved me… But they probably only did it because sensei would beat them if they didn't. Now that I think about it… Maybe I should have stayed with that creepy man… Even Daiki-sama, who's so nice to Miyuki and about his baby sister, treats me like a pet…" Botan muttered.

"W-Who're you talking about?" I managed to ask at last. He looked at me, then smiled and held onto me tightly, making me wince slightly. I blinked in surprise, when I felt hot salty tears on the side of my face where Botan was burying his face.

"Orochimaru," Botan groaned, "He's a very bad guy… Pretty pet, don't ever, ever fight that man… Don't go near him. Even if your little friends are near him, don't go near him. He acts nice at first, like Daiki-sama, but when you get to know him, he's nasty and cruel… It's because of him that I'm not normal…"

I started to feel sorry for him. Botan apparently hadn't always been this weird, from what he was saying. I think Botan just wanted someone who was smaller than him so he could push them around, since he's always being pushed around himself. He probably wanted the company too, possibly getting abandoned by Daiki and Miyuki. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I really didn't know _what_ to say… So I just let him hug on me a little more before Botan shot upright into a sitting position, his eyes flashing.

"No! No, no, no!" He cried and looked around toward the trees across from the one we were in. Botan looked panicky and dug into his kunai pouch, ripping out a roll of wire.

"Sorry, sorry, pet," Botan barked out his trademark laughter as he whipped the wire around my wrists tightly, making me wince, "But those meanies are coming to take you away! If they do that, Botan will be all alone again and he won't let that happen, nope, nope, nope! You're Botan's! Not theirs!" I yelped when Botan shoved me back into the tree opening after smacking a strip of tape across my mouth, shoving everything back into his pouch before he ducked out of the tree. From my position, I watched as Daisuke and Hajin made their appearance.

"Hand Nero over!" Daisuke ordered. Botan laughed out loud, throwing his arms out his sides.

"Ne, ne~ You're very cute too~ Ah, but no! Nero is Botan's! He comes and stays with Botan… Forever." He added with an evil grin. Hajin frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"Maruyama Botan. I'm pretty surprised you're even alive… Someone like you usually doesn't make their living after being experimented on." He retorted. Botan pouted.

"You're such a jerk. No wonder Hajin has no friends… Hehe, no wonder Uchiha doesn't like you very much!" He giggled. Hajin paled. Daisuke stared at him.

"Uchiha? I hope you don't mean Sasuke." He muttered. Hajin grimaced and shook his head.

"Ignore that. Botan, you shut your mouth!" He barked and swung a kunai out. The kunai hurdled at Botan's face and Botan grinned, swinging his hands up, catching the kunai between his hands, even if they're covered by his sleeves. He smirked, then dropped the kunai and shot forward. Daisuke jumped off to the side, swinging out a kunai. Hajin bolted to the other side, doing the same. Botan laughed and swung his hands outwards, catching both the kunai after moving his sleeves down to reveal bandaged hands.

He took the kunai and flung them forward and did a back flip, landing in front of the tree opening again before Daisuke or Hajin could get to it. I looked away for a split second to jerk at the wire, then winced as they cut into my wrists. I stared as blood dripped from my wrists. I jerked my head up and tried to speak past the tape, but my voice was muffled.

Daisuke moved first, running for me. Botan went to block him, but Hajin moved for me too. Botan whined, then smirked and whipped around as Daisuke made it to the opening first. Botan made hand signs quickly, his hands moving in a blur.

In a flash, thick globs of water seeped up from the ground and caught both Daisuke and Hajin by their feet, keeping them in place.

"Hey! What the heck?" Daisuke exclaimed.

"Shit," Hajin cursed, "I fucking hate his water jutsu." Botan smiled, tilting his head as he clapped his hands together.

"Ne, ne, aren't you two cute? Botan would love to take you two with Nero and him, but Daiki-sama only said one pet at a time… Too bad. This means Botan has to kill you~" He cooed and went to make hand signs, but Hajin whipped around, swinging a kunai out. This time, it caught Botan off guard and the kunai hit the top of his hood, ripping it off.

Botan screamed. Big time. And I could see why!

Sticking up from Botan's head were a pair of cat ears, a slightly darker teal then his hair with white tips. Daisuke stared.

"What…?"

"Botan," Hajin muttered, "Was experimented on by Orochimaru and the side effects created that." I stared as well, watching Botan clasp his hands over the ears.

"Nooo! Jerk! Asshole! Fucking brat! Botan will slaughter you!" Botan screamed and dropped his hands, grabbing a kunai and rushing forward. I lunged forward at this point, scrambling out and almost tripping. I managed to get in front of Hajin just as Botan swung the kunai down.

Blood splashed up into the air before splattering onto the ground. The kunai had cut through both the wire on my wrists and my chest. I gasped as a numbing pain burst along the gash. I felt blood coming up my throat and I let it bubble out and drip out before I coughed it up, shaking. I looked up past my hair, breathing hard as I watched Botan stumble back, crying out.

"No! No, I didn't want to hurt you! Why did you do that? Why did you get in my way?" Botan cried, his eyes welling up with visible tears.

"Good question," Hajin seethed behind me, "You should have let him." I smirked a little.

"I don't want you getting hurt on my accord… Besides, I still have more questions for you… You can't say you know Akatsuki personally and get away with it." I told him. Daisuke winced.

"Akatsuki? You know them?" He demanded Hajin, who flinched.

"It's none of your concern-"

"Bullcrap!" Daisuke interrupted angrily. I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to tell them to shut up when pain shot up my spine. I gasped and collapsed to my knees, trembling as I coughed up globs of blood. I shuddered, my vision blurring.

"Don't just stand there," Daisuke yelled at Botan, "Get rid of this jutsu so we can help him! If you care about him so much, you'd help him!" I looked up to see Botan's eyes flickering. His fingers released the kunai and he flexed his fingers, causing the bubbles of water around Daisuke's and Hajin's feet to burst. Both of them got beside me.

"Damn," Hajin cursed, "He's cut deeply. He needs a medical ninja and fast… He's losing a lot of blood."

"But, I don't know any medical ninjutsu." Daisuke managed, tearing off a strip of clothe from his jumpsuit to wrap around my wrists, which were still bleeding from the tightly bound wire. Hajin jerked his head up, glaring at Botan, who was still staring at us in a teary eyed shock.

"Daisuke's right, fool! Get a medical ninja or try and stop the bleeding so I can!" He ordered. Botan seemed to snap out of his shock.

"B-Botan doesn't know any medical ninja who will help… Hajin can go find one. Botan has more clothes on and can help stop the bleeding." He finally said and came up to me. Hajin nodded and shot off quickly. My vision was still blurring slightly, things growing dark around the edges. Botan took off the rest of his hood, tearing it up slightly to wrap around my other wrist.

"It's all right, Nero," Daisuke was telling me, his voice faint, "Keep breathing. Don't close your eyes! Keep them open!" I felt his fingers pull on my eyelids, making me open them back up again. I blinked weakly, coughing.

"This kinda hurts…" I managed. I could see Daisuke grimace slightly out the corner of my eye.

"Lie him down," I heard Botan tell him, "And get out as many bandages as you have so we can try and help." Daisuke nodded and I found myself lying on my back, wincing in pain. I kept trying to lift my hands up, but Daisuke held them back down.

"Nero, can you hear me?" I heard Daisuke ask at one point. I tilted my head slightly.

"Hn?" I asked. Daisuke sighed.

"Just making sure you're still awake… That guy is so weird, but by the way he's trying to help you, I think we can trust him." He said quietly. I smiled faintly.

"It's okay… He's just lonely, that's why he didn't want to let me go… He said something about… His teammates being total jerks to him…"

"Tch. He doesn't seem all that evil right now. In fact, he's making us something to eat and trying to rip off the bottoms of his pants for more bandages…" Daisuke murmured. I nodded a little, wincing and sighing.

"I really hope Akira and Ruriko are all right…" I groaned. Daisuke smiled.

"Ruriko's cocky, I'll admit," He replied, making me roll my eyes -pot calling the kettle black-, "But she'll be fine, I assure you. And Sora and Mai will definitely save Akira. If I know them, they'll probably make the battle quick and have that lady on her face in a split second."

"I hope so…" I muttered, then heard the sound of feet hitting the ground, making me sit up quickly, then yelp in pain. Daisuke sighed and helped me stay sitting up as Hajin approached with Osamu and his team.

"What the hell…?" I asked flatly, glaring at Osamu, who stuck his tongue out in return. Hajin rolled his eyes, then jabbed his thumb at Kishi, who winced a little, as if expecting him to smack at her.

"She's a medical ninja. She can try making your wounds a little better." He retorted. Kishi blinked at me when she came over, grimacing a little.

"That's a lot of blood… I'm surprised you're not unconscious." She murmured, making a few hand signs. I sighed.

"Same here…" I murmured, then winced when she placed her hands on my chest. Osamu and Eiji took a seat by Daisuke, who was huffing.

"These exams turned out to be harder than I thought." He muttered.

"I'll say." Osamu muttered, holding his arm, which was wrapped up with bandages. I frowned.

"What happened there?" I asked. Osamu smirked a little bitterly.

"Your stupid girlfriend happened." He replied, earning a little sigh from Eiji, who looked away. I stared.

"Ruriko? Is she okay? What happened?" I demanded, then yelped when I moved.

"You need to stay still," Kishi advised softly, "This is going to sting a little." I nodded a little and went still, glancing back at Osamu, who snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Are you kidding me? See, I really don't know why I even bothered. I saw her, you know, falling to her death into a giant lizard's mouth-"

"What?" Daisuke and I cried in unison.

"Osamu." Kishi scolded. Osamu sighed, rolling his eyes.

"She needed help. I went in, with intentions on making her tell me where you were, so I could get your scroll… We hit the ground and my shoulder broke. She hit her head pretty hard, but she was still up and around. She told me to get outta there pretty fast. Good thing I did. She blew up the entire area. I found out she had the scroll the entire time." He muttered. I blinked and went for my pocket, wincing slightly, before finding it empty.

She stole it, the little brat.

I cursed, then looked up as Osamu took the scroll out.

"She gave it to you?" I demanded, clenching my fists and wincing a little when I shifted. Osamu huffed.

"Shut up, of course she did. She said she wouldn't need it." He snapped, then rolled his eyes. I sighed.

"Great…" I muttered. Osamu frowned a little and looked in the other direction.

"I think she's okay, though," He replied, making Kishi and Eiji look at him, "She doesn't look like she's going to lose." The way he said it told me he was just saying it to make me less worried. I smiled faintly, but nodded in response.

"Food!" I heard Botan yell, making everyone jump and look up. Botan pushed a bunch of fruits at us, but stayed back behind me, resting his head on my shoulder with a little smile.

"Th-That…" Osamu didn't even know what to say. Eiji blinked, tilting his head curiously and Kishi stared, not knowing what to say either.

"Maruyama Botan," I told them quickly, "He's a good guy… Well, for now." Botan pouted a little and hugged me shamelessly in front of everyone, nuzzling my ear.

"If Botan can't take Nero, then Nero can take Botan… He doesn't want to go back with Daiki-sama or Miyuki…" He mumbled.

"Daiki?" Osamu demanded. I looked up.

"You know of him?" I asked. Osamu scowled.

"That's the guy that was chasing Ruriko around the clearing…" He muttered. I frowned. Botan frowned too and let go of me, looking the other way.

"Daiki-sama wouldn't kill Ruriko-sama," He murmured, "Daiki-sama loves his niece… Ruriko-sama reminds him of Kishiko-sama… I shouldn't be here. If Ruriko-sama injured Daiki-sama, he'll need help… And I'll be in trouble if I'm not there."

"But… Botan, you can't go back with people like that." I protested, earning odd stares from everyone. Botan smiled at me and patted my head, ruffling up my hair, which normally would've pissed me off.

"Can't… I want to stay with you. Your friends are very funny, very nice," He beamed, then it melted to show a sad expression, "But I'm afraid Daiki-sama will hurt you and them. Besides, I'm indebted to Daiki-sama, to his clan for rescuing me from Orochimaru. I have no choice, no matter how much I want to stay."

"Orochimaru?" Daisuke, Osamu, and Kishi all asked at the same time in horror. Botan yelped at their surprise.

"Yes. And to all of you too," He said quickly, frantically as if he were afraid he'd be heard, "Orochimaru is very bad. Very, very bad… He likes to take anyone who he thinks is interesting. He'll take them and lock them up and do painful experiments. It's what he does, it's what he loves. If you, any of you, ever see him, you have to run away. Run away as fast as you can and hide. I don't care if ninja aren't supposed to do that, but only a real ninja would run away from Orochimaru."

"But…! Orochimaru has Sasuke!" Kishi and Osamu said together. Botan smiled slowly.

"Yes, but not for long… I know of Uchiha Sasuke. He's a very bad, bad shinobi. Orochimaru will have a lot of fun hurting him…" He replied sadistically.

"You can't-"

"All right," Hajin cut Daisuke off, frowning, "Botan. Get ready. I will go back with you to find Daiki. I also have a few questions for him."

"What? Why the hell…?" Osamu's voice trailed, then blinked. Hajin smirked, getting to his feet.

"I'm an agent of the Rain Village. I am under the command of Akatsuki and my job is to find out as much as I can about my enemies and allies… I'm sorry. If they ask where I am, tell them I fled the exams at the last moment." He replied, then nodded to Botan, who nodded back.

"Wait!" I protested. Hajin glanced back at me. I frowned.

"If you stumble upon Ruriko or Akira, please help them." I stated. Hajin nodded, then smirked.

"Tell Ruriko I still want to fight her… And that I'd like to take her out to dinner sometime." With that, Hajin shot off with Botan. I glared after him, tensing up and feeling my face grow hot. Osamu's team stared at me, Daisuke along with them.

"Asshole," I yelled after him, "Paws off!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: So, we learn a bit more about Botan. C: He's so cute. Anyway… I have plans for the next chapter and I will get work to it as soon as I post this one. I think I have enough time to write it before I have to go to bed since I already packed for my vacation! WOO! So, thanks so very, very much for reading, hope the characters are all in character, and your reviews are loved and appreciated! ;D**


	9. Chapter 9

**o-o Quite short and not the best, but… Yea.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Hajin**

**Miyuki**

**Botan**

**A/N: Beginning portion is Akira's POV~**

****

Chapter Nine: **Going Crazy… Power Hungry Kunoichi!**

I could remember my mother very clearly in my mind as I sat with my back to a tree trunk, covered with cuts and gashes. She had long dark purple hair, it looked almost black and her eyes were a nice, cloudy gray that oddly warmed you. She was always smiling… She made the funniest faces when Hioshi and I argued. It made me jealous how she always told Kazuya she was proud of him.

Father was the same way. He was a stern kind of guy with short raven hair and icy blue eyes that looked just like Hioshi's. He was always getting after me for fighting with Hioshi and he would yell at me the most. I'm not being a kid when I say that either because it was true. Everyone saw it, but even so, Hioshi didn't seem to like him for siding with him constantly. Hioshi told me that he wished father wouldn't be so biased. At the time, I didn't know what that even meant…

Despite having a firm father and a picky mother, our family was pretty content. Kazuya was working hard, even back then. Hioshi was the center of attention, being a prodigy child. I was just being mean, the risky moron. Then Ruriko was born and she was as loud mouthed back then as she is now. Everything seemed fine…

Back then… Before they died.

Before I killed them.

Before I waited until Kazuya, Hioshi, and Ruriko were out the door… Coming back to find me practically bathing in the blood of the woman who conceived us and the man who helped bring us here.

I asked Kazuya, Hioshi, and Ruriko on several different occasions if they ever hated me for what I did, my heart throbbing painfully at the mere thought of what I had done. I remember that only a year after it happened and I asked, Kazuya held onto me for almost an entire hour, telling me how much he loved me and he wished I'd forget what I did out of fear.

Hioshi told me he didn't care what I did, that in fact, I released some of the stress that was driving him insane. He even took the time to pull away from his work to take a nap together like we used to.

Ruriko, being the annoying little brat she was, told me she always loved me more than them, which I understood… She didn't know our parents as long as Kazuya and Hioshi did…

The thought of it was making me cry again. It was instinct now that whenever I thought of our past, of our parents, of what I did, that my eyes would burn with hot tears and my body would shake. Random words flowed out of my mouth that made no sense to even me. I felt like my younger self was taking my body over.

I gasped when pain shot up my throat and I was torn from my thoughts as Miyuki gripped the front of my shirt, jerking me up off the ground, my back scraping on the tree trunk. I yelped in pain, grasping her fist to try and pry her fingers, but she was definitely intent on pleasing Daiki. She had replaced her headband back over her eyes to hide the horrible secret beneath them.

"You will pay for murdering Kishiko-sama, little one…" She murmured monotone-like as she reeled her fist back. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for the pain that I deserved when she stopped suddenly, letting me hit the branch at our feet. She turned as I scrambled to my feet, looking up at what stopped her. At the other end of the branch, Sora and Mai were positioned and ready for a fight. An expression of distaste and annoyance could be seen on Miyuki's face as she turned to face them.

"Leave Akira be!" Sora commanded, clenching her fists. Mai stood there as stoically as ever, but she was definitely tense for a battle. Miyuki frowned, giving her head a little tilt as if she were trying to be cutely innocent.

"You are in the way… If you do not want to die, I suggest you depart." Her voice was raspy from lack of use and harsh, very cold. Sora even flinched a little, but Mai was there to back her up.

"I believe you're the one who's causing a detour, interrupting the Chuunin Exams." Mai retorted smartly, narrowing her eyes. Miyuki tilted her head back up and made a hand sign.

"If you rather die, fine. I have no problem destroying worthless brats." She stated, her hands whipping out quickly. I watched as vines shot out from nowhere, aiming to strangle both the kunoichi, but they were ready. Mai shot up into the air and Sora did a few fancy flips, slashing her kunai at the vines. Ninjutsu was definitely blasting about now, flames and earth flying. I winced, watching Miyuki take a step back to avoid Sora, who had thrown a hot ball of fire at her. I took my chance and swung my foot around, kicking Miyuki in the side. I heard a faint gasp of surprise as she flew off the branch before doing a flip and landing on another one.

"Akira! Are you all right?" Sora demanded, running up to me as Mai bolted for Miyuki. I winced when I dropped my foot back to the branch, pain blasting through me, but I only nodded to Sora.

"I'm fine, just peachy… What about Ruriko and Nero? What happened to them?" I demanded, grabbing her shoulders. Sora blinked in surprise, staring at me as if she never expected me to suddenly blow up like that. I let go, muttering a quick apology and looked at her eagerly.

"Ruriko was going to fight Daiki last I saw and that other guy went after Nero, but Daisuke went to help Nero." Sora informed me rapidly. I nodded quickly, then glanced in Mai's direction, watching her engage in a pretty skillful Taijutsu battle with Miyuki.

"Be careful," I warned Sora, "I don't know what it is, but that Miyuki girl has a weird eye technique. I don't know if there's a limit or anything… But it'll do some real damage." Sora grimaced.

"An eye bloodline against an eye bloodline…" She murmured. I opened my mouth to comment, but Sora whipped around just in time to catch Mai, who almost slammed into the tree branch. A curse was sworn as Sora helped Mai get balanced. Miyuki, when I watched her jump to our branch again, had gotten some blows, I noticed. A bruise was growing on her cheek and her hair was disheveled, matching her clothes and the cuts slashed on her by a kunai and some shuriken.

"Care to try again?" Miyuki asked, annoyed. Sora glared at her. Mai went to go at her, but Sora grabbed Mai's arm to hold her back.

"Mai, you can't. She's not worth it. She's an S-ranked criminal against Genin." Sora warned.

"Sora's right," I agreed, "Fighting her is useless!" Mai was still glaring at Miyuki furiously, her fists clenched tightly as she gritted her teeth.

"She'll just chase after us to get to Akira. We need to get rid of her right away." She seethed, but I could see she was in pain by the gash that cut through her cheek. Sora went to make a comment, but Miyuki spoke first.

"You kunoichi have a chance to escape. Take it now or I will kill both of you and take the boy." She said. I glared.

"Leave them alone! This isn't their fight!" I barked.

"Akira…" Sora murmured. Mai flicked her eyes on me, as if to mentally curse me for even existing, which I happily accepted. Miyuki frowned and she went to put her hands together, Sora, Mai, and I all tensing for an attack, but a fist wrapped around her hands, halting her actions.

"That's quite enough, Miyuki," Daiki said softly, his clothes billowing as he landed on the tree branch with grace, "This battle is over." Miyuki immediately dropped her hands and bowed her head out of respect. Daiki looked over at me and I flinched right away. Daiki smirked.

"That's good. I hope you come to fear me because I will return to settle a score with Ruriko… And I will come back to take you as well." He mocked, then hooked an arm around Miyuki, surprising me. Were they together? Yea, stupid thing to wonder at a time like this, but really! He was holding her like some pervert would a prostitute. Without a moment's hesitation, they were shooting off.

"Holy…" Sora's voice drifted and she looked slightly dazed as she let Mai drape an arm over her shoulders to support her. I averted my eyes, frowning.

"I'm sorry you two were mixed up with this and I know this is totally irrelevant to the situation, but… Are you both single?" I asked, beaming. They both gave me the same flatly annoyed expression, complete with twitching eyes. I got a smack over the head for it, but I found out that they were single!

"Can you help me find Ruriko and Nero," I asked as we bandaged up our wounds, "I want to know that they're okay…" Sora nodded.

"We'd be happy too." She replied with a warm smile that made me grin back, although, out the corner of my eyes, I could see Mai giving me an annoyed glare. I had a feeling she was beginning to hate me…

Wonder why!

We shot through the trees a few moments later in silence. Mai was probably still mad at me, Sora probably had nothing to say, and I just didn't feel like talking now. Daiki's presence still bothered me. By 'settling a score with Ruriko', did that mean Ruriko was alive somewhere all by herself in this creepy forest? I frowned to myself, pushing off a tree branch, biting into my lip when my ankle made an eerie crack sound. I saw Sora wince and Mai frown. I ignored the hot, throbbing pain in my ankle as we shot through the trees before we heard the somewhat relieving loud cursing that made my heart soar.

Ruriko!

"Over there!" Sora told me, pointing and we went off to the left, landing on a tree branch high up and looking down. Ruriko was sitting in a clearing, looking pretty badly banged up and writing something in a scroll.

"Ruriko!" I yelled and hopped down. Ruriko jerked her head up, her eyes going wide as she dropped her pencil.

"Akira? Akira! You're alive!" She cried and leapt to her feet. I heard Mai mutter something about having confidence in them before Ruriko practically tackled me in a tight hug that kind of surprised me. I expected to be smacked or something, but instead, Ruriko buried her face in my bloody shirt, hugging me.

"Thank the gods, you're alive…!" She sighed. I smiled a little and hugged her back, concerned that the scent of blood was heavy on her. She pulled away from me, glancing over my shoulder to give Sora and Mai a weird look, mouthing something that I couldn't identify.

"What're you doing there?" Sora asked, pointing to the scroll as she bent over to take a peek. In a flash, Ruriko whipped the scroll up, rolling it in the process as she shoved it into her kunai pouch. She flashed them a cocky smirk that I was so glad to see.

"Ne, you may have saved my brother and trust me, I'm super appreciative, but that doesn't mean I'll be sharing any information on the criminals we were set to investigate." She responded. Sora blinked, jerking upright as if she completely forgot she was even taking the exams.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" She cried. Mai smacked her forehead. Ruriko laughed, not even wincing as a cut split open under her eye. I stared at her.

"That was the scroll?" I asked her, confused. Ruriko paused, rolling her eyes around as if trying to search for an excuse in the trees.

"Ehhh… Let's go! I managed to see the direction Botan and Daisuke went in. If we hurry, we might be able to catch up before anything happened." She babbled. Sora, Mai, and I shared looks of suspicion, but Ruriko was already pushing off the ground, leaving behind a glob of blood from her arm. I grimaced and chased after her with Sora and Mai taking up behind me.

"What happened with Daiki anyway? It looks like he got you good…" Sora murmured, grimacing at the wounds on my sister, who smirked in response.

"Nothing. It was a family bonding moment… Let's say that." She responded, but that was all she would answer with when we kept questioning her. I was getting a little unnerved. Ruriko was a blabbermouth sometimes and she always took a chance to leap at her accomplishments. This time, she wasn't going into detail. It made me wonder what really happened with her and Daiki…

**Ruriko's POV**

I knew Akira was getting suspicious. He was giving me that weird look that Kazuya gave Hioshi when he was hiding valuable information, demanding for a price. Of course, I really couldn't tell Akira what the deal was. I got information to pass the exams in turn for Daiki coming back to take Nero and him… Of course, I already had a perfect plan, but the only hole in it…

Was the fact that the next part of the exam was a preliminary round, which meant I would have to fight someone from the other teams. I just prayed that it wouldn't be someone who already knew my techniques or else I would have to delve deeper into my plan.

From what Daiki told me, I had enough information to head straight to the tower without anymore detours, hopefully. I couldn't tell Sora or Mai that the scroll I had was actually a scroll Daiki gave me to write all my knowledge on. He apparently had some inside information on the exam, being a sneaky rat.

We landed in a clearing and as soon as my feet touched the ground, I was almost swept off my feet by a familiar dark-cloaked blob.

"Ruriko! You're actually alive!" Nero cried and hugged me so tight, I almost fainted. I gasped, blushing slightly at the unwanted contact as Nero held me against his chest.

"Hey! Don't cup a feel." I heard Daisuke's voice yell. I felt my face grow hotter and I finally wiggled away from him, scowling.

"Pervert." I muttered, brushing myself, ignoring Nero and Akira demanding each other the same damn things over and over again. I frowned, glaring at them in embarrassment when I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me jump slightly. I turned to find Osamu giving me a weird look, like he was trying to hide something.

"Hey… Glad you're not dead." He stated. I blinked, dropping my arms to my sides and tilting my head slightly to stare at him from a different angle, wondering if maybe this was all just a big Genjutsu. I paused, then straightened up and smirked, pointing at him.

"Damn straight you're glad. Cuz I'm going to kick your ass." I replied. Osamu's eye twitched and he held a fist in my face.

"You big mouthed brat! I'll smash your teeth down your throat!"

"I'll rip your throat out with my teeth, no joke!"

"Fucking cannibal!"

"Stupid brat!"

"Aren't you two good friends?" Daisuke mused sarcastically, giving a light shrug. Osamu and I both glared at him until he waved his hands in front of him as if to surrender. I huffed and folded my arms across my chest.

"Well, this is the part where we all split ways," I stated aloud, "We worked together for a bit, but I think it's time we worked on our own."

"Ruriko's right," Kishi said quietly, averting her eyes, "We have what we need, Osamu. We might as well go." Eiji nodded in agreement. Osamu snorted indigenously, then flashed me a quick look.

"See ya later, loser." He shot off. I went to go after him, but Nero caught the back of my vest to hold me back.

"Get back here, you…!" I started swearing incoherently, wishing I could tear that brat apart! He was so cocky! I was still fuming, but stopped when I felt a new pair of arms wrap around me. I blushed and jerked my eyes up to see Daisuke hugging me.

"Hehe, it was fun while it lasted, Ruriko~ We'll see ya at the tower~" He cooed at me before Sora pulled him off and they vanished from site.

"Flirt." Nero muttered under his breath, folding his arms over his chest. I sweat dropped and rubbed my arms, trying to rid myself of the feeling of being hugged too many times.

They just weren't my thing, ya know?

"Well," Akira said with a frown, looking at me now, "You seemed pretty smug on our way here… Why is that?" I frowned back at him. Nero gave me a quizzical stare. It was quiet before I decided to fill it with a short laugh, putting a hand on my hip.

"What's that look for, Akira? You act like I've got a big secret… I'm just pleased that we can head straight to the tower with the information on this scroll." I said, patting my pouch. Nero blinked.

"I thought you gave the scroll to Osamu." He pointed out. Note to self: Tear Osamu's tongue out and strangle him with it. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms over my chest, shifting to my other foot.

"Yea, the one Anko gave us. But this scroll has new information on it… I gathered lots of Intel from Daiki about various criminal organizations, even his own. He gave me the scroll to write it all down, telling me that at the tower, we need to go in and place a scroll on a platform at the center of the entrance hall. It should open another set of doors, leading to a large arena where a preliminary round is supposed to be held and-"

"Wait," Nero cut in, "You're not serious." I frowned.

"What's there not to be serious about?" I asked, making Akira whine a little and hold his head, probably slightly confused. Nero glared at me and it made me almost uneasy.

"Ruriko! We were just attacked by an infamous criminal organization and almost killed and you still want to continue with these stupid exams?" He demanded angrily, clenching his fists. I glared back at him this time. That was what he was worried about?

"We did not just go through hell just to drop out now!" I protested furiously.

"Guys…" Akira complained, but he was ignored as Nero took a threatening step at me, almost like he was going to hit me or something, which made me step back from him.

"Ruriko, in case you haven't noticed, this was just the second part of the exam. We have a preliminary round as well as the final round of these exams. What if they get worse? I don't want to risk almost losing you guys as well as my own life. Forget it. This ninja thing… It's just not for me." Nero dropped his voice to a mutter. I could not believe what I was hearing! He was giving up! Just like that! I gritted my teeth. We had to get through these exams or my plan was going to be so screwed up, that I really will lose everything I have.

"I don't care," I seethed, ignoring how truly heartless I sounded, "I don't care what happened. You guys worked to the bone for this and we almost died, all three of us so we could continue these exams. You shouldn't have joined if you had known you would have to put your life on the line… And what makes you think I'm going to become a shinobi to save people, huh?" Akira stared at me, paling slightly.

"Ruriko…" He managed. Nero stared at me. I glared, clenching my fists tighter, digging my nails and drawing blood from my palms.

"No way… Screw you guys. I'm not dying for anyone. Not Kazuya, not you, not the village, no one! I'm going to keep myself alive and I'm going to get what I want. I already have thoughts on what's going to happen. For now, you two just back down and let me take charge or else I will not hesitate to tear off a chunk of your flesh to make you listen!" I barked, spitting at them. Nero glared, gritting his teeth.

"You're acting like a heartless bitch!" He blurted, wincing a little. I smirked, putting my hands on my hips, giving him a flash of my slightly sharpened canines.

"Oh, what? I thought you said you loved me dearly, or was that a lie?" I demanded. Nero flinched, dropping his fists at his sides.

"Ruriko… What's going on with you? Why are you acting like this? You were fine before we started the exams…" His voice trailed. I frowned. I suddenly felt like someone had thrust a brick at my chest and it was growing tight.

He was right.

What the hell was I talking about? If he or Akira died… I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing that it was my fault… Sure, my intentions on becoming a ninja were selfish, but when it came down to it, I would protect my village…

_Power_. I grimaced. Daiki had mentioned that when we spoke…

_Power is a scary thing, Ruriko… Once you get a taste of it, you'll want more and more and more until it's consumed you… Why do you think I no longer care for what happens to my teammates? I couldn't possibly care less about either of them now that I know that I have power over them…_

I touched my head to my forehead, sucking in a sharp breath and getting that bricked feeling in my chest.

"I don't feel good…" I managed before I felt my knees hit the ground, my world caving in on me as a spiraling black vortex.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: What I had in mind at the beginning was good, but, eh, this chapter for some reason doesn't please me… Next one will for sure, though. Sorry if there's some OOC. It's midnight right now and it's the last day of my vacation. :'D It was pretty fun too, got some good pics and shiz. Anyway, yea. Ruriko's getting power hungry like her dear uncle… Funfun. So, thanks for reading, hope there's some characters in character, and non-harsh reviews would be lovely!**


	10. Chapter 10

**o-o Quite short and not the best, but… Yea.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Hajin**

**Miyuki**

**Botan**

**Random Kumogakure Team**

**A/N: Beginning part is Nero's POV! Sorry I keep switching, again. I'm so indecisive on who's POV it should stay. TwT**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Ten:** Maturity Growing. The Growing Hunger!**

Ruriko was light as I carried her piggyback, following behind Akira, who yawned every so often after we took a break to sleep, revealing it to be the next day when we woke up. I could tell Akira was as concerned as I was at Ruriko's outburst the day prior. It wasn't like Ruriko to be like that. Sure she was kind of selfish, cocky, and pessimistic, but she would never say what she did…

"Do you think Daiki said something to make her like that?" Akira asked me softly as we walked over the dew moistened grass. I frowned, shrugging a little.

"Hell if I know… I'm sorry, but I hope that asshole gets backslapped by karma." I muttered, shifting Ruriko slightly so her head rested on my shoulder. Akira glanced at me with a faint, sad smile before looking forward again with a frown.

"Nero… We can't give up." He stated. I blinked and stared at him.

"What?" I asked. Akira nibbled his lip for a bit before continuing, sounding suddenly more confident, definitely not the Akira I was used to.

"We can't give up on these exams, Nero. Up until now, being shinobi was probably just a game. We toyed with the thought of being ninja for selfish reasons, without once considering what it truly meant. And now that we're faced with the real meaning of being a shinobi, we're backing down because we realize now that being a shinobi means to place your life on the line. It's like that Ibiki guy said. There are no words to describe a shinobi… We need to stand up, even if they push us down. Damn it, we're not cowards! I don't know about you, but I'm ditching my childish ways. I'm gonna grow up!" Akira snapped, jabbing himself in the chest with his thumb. I stared at him in complete awe.

"Akira…" I managed.

Akira definitely was effected by what had just happened to us. Past the cuts and bruises and the tear streaks on his face, I saw an adult, not a kid. Not the Akira who made jokes, acted like a pervert, and goofed off.

He frowned at me and reached up, untying his headband while at the same time letting down his shoulder-length inky black hair.

"I don't know about you, but this headband means being a shinobi. If you're going to ditch being a shinobi, I want you to throw yours on the ground and stomp on it." He stated before retying his tightly over his forehead. I frowned as we stood in silence for a moment.

"What're we standing around here for," I murmured, making Akira blink, "Let's go find us a tower." Akira slowly beamed at me before clenching his fists.

"All right! Let's do this!" He whooped, his voice echoing off the trees. I smirked.

What a moron.

**Ruriko's POV**

I woke up, finding myself oddly warm… My back was kind of sore and my eyes too, but I opened them anyway. My vision focused until I found myself staring at a thick blue river and a grassy shoreline. I blinked and sat upright, looking down to find Nero's cloak draped over me. I picked it up, looking at it for a second before lifting my eyes back to the river to see Nero burst up from the water with a loud gasp.

"Akira, you jerk! You could at least help, ya know!" He barked at Akira, who was sitting a couple feet in front of me on a boulder with his shirt off as he dabbed some ointment on his cuts. He glanced up, scowling at Nero.

"Use your teeth, dummy!"

"Easy for you to say! You have sharp teeth!" Nero threw back, earning a smirk from Akira. I stared, wondering for a moment if I was transported into the future. Akira suddenly seemed way more mature and not just the fact that he had let his hair down and taken off his shirt. Something in the way he smirked said 'I'm not a little kid anymore'.

"Hey, look who's awake." Nero mused aloud as he climbed onto shore, looking at me. I stared at him blankly at first, having no words to describe how confused I was. Akira looked up, turning on the boulder.

"Awesome. Now Nero doesn't have to carry you." He joked, making Nero roll his eyes. I felt a bit of heat in my cheeks as I held out the cloak. Nero smiled a little, taking the cloak and slipping it on.

"What happened?" I asked. The last thing I remembered was passing out after acting like a total bitch to my teammates. Nero and Akira shared looks, then shrugged.

"You passed out." Nero replied, sitting in front of me. Akira nodded, standing up on bare feet.

"Probably all the excitement and blood loss probably knocked ya out. You should be better now, though… Nero and I tried to treat as many of your wounds as we could." He explained.

"Thanks." I muttered. Nero smirked, then scanned me over real quick.

"You seem fine… Think you can get us some dinner?" He asked. I blinked, then smiled slowly.

"Sure. I could go for a swim… But do me a favor and go somewhere else. Both of you so I can take off my clothes and not waste my time getting them wet." I muttered. Nero opened his mouth to make a smart ass comment, but Akira was behind him in a second, jerking on the collar of his cloak.

"On your feet, pervert. You're not looking at my sister in her underwear!" Akira commanded, dragging a complaining and in denial Nero off into the woods. I smirked and climbed to my feet, dropping my kunai pouch in the process. I undid my vest, tossing it on the ground with my shoes, stripping off my jumpsuit next to stand in my plain black underwear.

No, I was no fan of fancy underclothes. No one was supposed to see that anyway. I reached up and undid my hair, heading to the river. I didn't step in or try and look good doing it. In fact, I leapt right in, diving. The water was crystal blue and multiple colored stones littered the sandy floor. I touched the bottom with my fingertips before doing a little flip to get used to the water. My lungs and tummy felt odd and empty until I came up to the surface, gasping for air. I floated there for a bit, listening and watching fish dart around. I could hear crickets and other annoying bugs chirping and _creek-creeking_. My eyes caught a large fish that darted in toward me to investigate. I quickly dunked under and went after it.

Most people caught fish with weapons or their hands, taking their time and being all fancy and strategic about it when really it was a waste of time. I dove right in and went in for the chase, but swam pretty fast since I didn't use my hands to catch fish…

No, I used what ever Tsukuyomi -excluding Kazuya- used to fight and or survive. The fish darted off to the side to avoid me, but I lunged in, opening my mouth. I felt the scales against my tongue just as I sank my teeth down. Bubbles fluttered around everywhere as the thing thrashed for a split second before dying and going limp in my mouth. My lungs were tight and pained by now and I shot up to the surface, gasping past the fish in my mouth.

"That's attractive." A voice said. I blinked the water from my eyes and looked up, gritting my teeth tighter around the fish in my mouth as the figure made their appearance known. It was none other than Kawaguchi Ryuuko. I slunk up to the shore, spitting the fish at his feet and glaring up at him past my wet hair, keeping under the water.

"What the hell? You don't sneak up on people like that!" I snapped angrily. Ryuuko frowned.

"What're you doing, hunting fish like that?" He asked. I scowled, gripping the side of the shore.

"It's none of your business! What are you doing here anyway?" I demanded in annoyance. Ryuuko ignored the question, lifting his eyes up across the river. I frowned and opened my mouth to snap at him again, but the sound of a loud grumbling made me whip around. Slinking out of the thick brush was an oversized centipede. Right away, I screamed. Ryuuko winced as the big bug scuttled toward the river, but stopped in front of it.

"Fucking bugs! Always bugs!" I yelled, but more to myself than Ryuuko, who immediately went down and hooked his arms under mine, jerking me out of the water to my complete surprise. I started to yell at him to let me go, but I realized why he did it. The centipede stuck its head in the water, releasing some purple liquid which resulted in the death of every living thing in the river in a matter of seconds. I was breathing hard now as Ryuuko whipped out a kunai, which stuck right into the centipede's face as it emerged from the water, only to fall back in, dead.

"You didn't know that was there?" Ryuuko asked, glancing at me with a look that said 'you moron'. I scowled, folding my arms tightly over my chest.

"Shut up! I was driven by hunger. I'm like a shark. One I have food, nothing else matters." I muttered. Ryuuko averted his eyes, closing them as if giving up on questions.

"The reason I'm here is because I'm looking for Honoka and Ayaka. I heard splashing and figured it was Ayaka, but I guess not…" His voice trailed. I blinked.

"Honoka and Ayaka are missing?" I asked, surprised. Ryuuko nodded, frowning now and the concern on his face didn't go unnoticed.

"I turned my back for a second and someone knocked me out. When I came to, Honoka and Ayaka were gone… And so was the scroll that I was carrying." He muttered. I frowned.

"That sucks… Well, at least you weren't almost eaten by a giant lizard and a giant centipede, right?" I tried. Ryuuko looked at me, raising an eyebrow at my attempt at lightening his mood.

"Where are your teammates?" He decided to ask now. I blinked and glanced around, then shrugged.

"Hell if I know. I told them to leave…" My voice trailed with realization. I had told them to leave so they wouldn't see me in my underwear. I flinched, feeling my face grow hot. Ryuuko seemed to realize it too and quickly looked in the opposite direction.

"Sorry." He apologized, closing his eyes. I could feel my entire body heat up with embarrassment. He probably didn't even notice until just now that I was soaking wet in my underwear…. At least he had the courtesy to apologize and look away! He let me get dressed again, his back to me.

"You need help finding Ayaka and Honoka, no worries," I said when Ryuuko didn't answer my question about why he was still even there, "It's not like my team is busy… We have what? Four more days until the tower needs to be reached." This time Ryuuko looked at me with curious eyes.

"Four days? Were you knocked out or something?"

"Why?"

"The mandatory arrival time is tomorrow afternoon at the tower." Ryuuko murmured. I stared at him for a moment.

"… ARE YOU SERIOUS? How long was I asleep? Oh my god, you're kidding, right?" I cried, but Ryuuko shook his head. I groaned and plopped down on the boulder nearby, covering my face with my hands.

"Unbelievable! I slept for four days! Ugh!" I complained. Ryuuko sweat dropped, then blinked at the sound of hissing.

"Uhm, I don't mean to interrupt you, but I think we should move now or we're going to end up fighting off an army of those centipedes." That got me up and running, snatching up my kunai pouch. Ryuuko was right behind me as we bolted into the trees.

"We'll find Nero and Akira and help you find your teammates." I told Ryuuko as we moved.

"Will they even agree to it?" Ryuuko asked, glancing at me out the corner of his eye. I blinked, then laughed.

"Oh yea. Trust me. They'll do it alright." I replied, earning a quizzical stare before I bolted ahead slightly. That was when I felt Ryuuko grab the back of my shirt, jerking me to a stop.

"Wait! Listen." He ordered. We went silent, listening to the bugs chirp and the trees rustle, the sound of the river behind us flowing steadily. That's when I heard it…

"Disgusting! Get your fucking bugs off us!" Ayaka's voice for sure and she sounded really pissed. Ryuuko immediately shot after the yelling and I followed close behind. We finally landed behind some brush, peering through to see Ayaka wrapped up by one of the centipede's. She was squirming against it and biting it uselessly. Beside her, Honoka was kneeling in front of an opened scroll, her eyes hazy and expression blank to show that the Genjutsu was released and pretty damn heavy. Across the clearing, a team of Kumogakure shinobi were positioned and looking pretty damn proud of their one, one of them pulling the strings on the bugs.

I winced and shuddered at the sight of the giant centipede's. Ryuuko looked like he was busy assessing the situation until I interrupted his thought process.

"Ryuuko," I stated, "Let me go in there and distract them. I'll do my best to get them down, but you should probably let your teammates go."

"I can't let you do all the work." Ryuuko started, but I was already stepping out and he hissed an unwanted curse after me. As soon as I stepped out, one of the kunoichi, a blue-eyed brunette with gauze on her cheeks whipped around.

"Intruder!" She yelled immediately.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" I retorted and made hand signs quickly, snapping my fingers in their direction to spark bolts of lightening. They were dodged and the one controlling the centipede's yelped, falling backwards. I realized that this little bug puppet kid was way younger than us, maybe six or something.

"Who the hell are you?" The older boy barked at me, his snake-like eyes flickering.

"I'd like to know the same thing. What the hell is a snot-nosed brat doing on your team?" I demanded.

"Don't make fun of him!" The kunoichi protested and went to make hand signs, but I threw a kunai at her, making her back flip to dodge.

"Shut up, Chi! Use your water jutsu while we get the last of the information!" The older boy ordered. The kunoichi, Chi, whipped out some hand signs, sending a huge wave of water that seemed to fall from the sky on its own, racing at me. I winced and bolted out of the water, but got splashed most of the way anyway. That pissed me off. I went to all that embarrassment before to avoid getting my clothes wet!

I whipped around, getting a glance of Ryuuko moving out the corner of my eye. I bolted at Chi, ducking my head low to avoid her shuriken attack. She yelped when I appeared in front of her and she put her arm up as if to block an attack, but she thought I was going to hit her…

Instead, I jerked my head up and bit down on her arm tightly, my canines sinking into her skin cleanly. She screamed and started to shake her arm. It was stupid how some people automatically did that. It just made their skin tear, and if I'm lucky, their bone. I heard gasps from the team.

"She's biting me! She's going to tear my arm off! Shichi, get her off me!" Chi screeched and jerked her arm back. I felt the older boy's grip get around my waist, tearing me backwards. I took a chunk of flesh out of the girl's arm in the process, making her wail in agony, falling to her knees. My head tossed back against Shichi's shoulder as I swallowed the meat only to open my mouth back open and bite a chunk of his ear off, making him howl in agony, letting me go.

I smirked, licking the blood off my lips and whipping around to see Ryuuko releasing the Genjutsu on Honoka, in turn allowing her to use an earth style jutsu to destroy the centipede around Ayaka. I looked around in time for the little kid who was controlling the bugs to scramble to his feet.

"Chi! Shichi!" He cried in a high voice, confirming my suspicions of his super young age. I glared at him, grabbing the collars of his two teammates.

"Take your trash out of here." I snapped. The boy nodded rapidly and complied. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I frowned, seeing the blood smear on it. I sighed and glanced up, listening to Honoka thank Ryuuko excessively, bowing her head and smiling at him. Ayaka nagged about how he didn't show up soon enough, demanding how he could pass out so easily from a blow to the head. Ryuuko just took the insults from her with grace, staring at her as if he wasn't even listening.

"Hey, Ryuuko," I called, making him and his team look up, "Hope you can make it to the tower… Those jerks stole your scroll and offered to give you theirs." I pulled their stolen scrolls from my vest, tossing them so Ryuuko and Ayaka both caught one. Ryuuko frowned.

"Don't you need one?" He asked, but even as he said it, he didn't look like he was going to give it up, so I just laughed at him.

"What the hell would I with those things?" I asked, then turned and went into the forest. A nagging voice told me I should have asked them to come with me, but I went into the woods anyway, following the instinct that kept saying _food food food_. I grimaced as my tummy growled, my hand clasping over my gut. If there was one bad habit about the Tsukuyomi Clan, it was that once we got a bit of meat, we had to have more. Enough to fill us up for a quite a while. I sighed in aggravation at the hunger, deciding to go off and find Nero and Akira.

Stumbling through the woods and avoiding giant bugs, I finally found Akira and Nero all right. Nero was yelling in pain, Akira jerking big fat blood filled leeches off his back. I stared in disgust.

"Ugh! How did that happen?" I cried.

"Thanks for your concern- OW!" Nero howled and brought his hand up to bite into it. Akira rolled his eyes, tossing the leech to the forest floor before stomping on it so it was a spatter of blood.

"Idiot… He didn't bother to check the tree he just climbed in." He muttered.

"Shut up! You were about to do it." Nero growled, evident tears of pain in the corner of his eyes. Akira sweat dropped.

"Liar." He accused, but I could tell Akira was the liar here, so I just shook my head and walked over, but stopped dead in my tracks a couple feet away. The horribly sweet, yet metallic scent of blood was heavy in the air, suffocating me. I stared at Nero's bloody back, watching the fluid run in thick red beads down his pale, scarred skin. Akira wiped his hands on his shorts, sighing in exasperation.

"Dummy… I'll go grab something to wash this off." He sighed, turning his back. I walked forward, crouching in front of Nero's back.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Duh." Nero managed to say. I leaned in a little, my mouth watering. It was wrong of me to get hungry around excessive blood, but I really couldn't help it… Blood was a beautiful thing. So rich and so dark red, it was almost black. Before I knew what was happening, I was licking the blood on Nero's back. I felt him gasp and hiss past clenched teeth. My saliva was probably stinging the open wounds.

I got a grip on his shoulders, dragging my tongue along his shoulder blade, listening to him hiss out curses before a strong jerk pulled my hair. I yelped and whipped around to glare at Akira, who was glaring back at me.

"Don't! Whatever happened to make you that hungry, forget about it. Nero's our teammate." Akira snapped. I frowned, then twitched.

"Ugh. Sorry… I don't know why I did that…" I muttered. Nero just nodded. Akira sighed and helped Nero clean his wounds. When the smell of fresh blood began to fade, so did my hunger and I was very thankful for that. I would have killed myself if I had eaten Nero.

For some reason, as we walked toward the tower, which was now visible over the tops of the trees, I got the feeling that this whole experience had changed all of us. Akira was definitely more mature than he was and he was cautious too. Nero seemed a little more… Risky, I guess? He kept volunteering for everything Akira asked for. I hardly got to do anything, but I knew my time would come as we walked the cement steps to the main door.

I had information. I had strength. Damn it, I had a plan and it was going to sweep my teammates as well as my family off their feet!

With this in mind, I tore the doors open to the tower, my face probably growing smug again.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I really hope this one was better and that the OCs were in character! It's two thirty in the morning and I might have some mistakes in there…. So beg pardon if there are any! It was kind of random… Sort of a filler… Sort of not. Hopefully you catch my drift! Anyway, the next part is the Chuunin Exams Preliminary Rounds. Before I start that, I would like to tell you all to please not eat my face off if your character loses a battle. :/ Not everyone wins, ya know… Well, I think that's it. Thanks very much for reading, hope the Ocs are okay, and your reviews are welcomed with open arms!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Kinda short… But I'm content with it. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Hajin**

**That random Kumogakure team… :'D**

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Chapter Eleven: **Think Before You Act, FOOL! I Need Food…**

The room was just as Daiki had explained it. White tiled floors with cement walls and a red railing around a balcony floor that wrapped around the mid-half of the room. In the center was a cement platform for the scroll to be placed on and a pair of huge iron doors across the room.

Nero and Akira were giving me weird looks when I pulled the scroll from my kunai pouch, walking forward to the platform. My eyes shifted around the room before I dropped the scroll there, waiting for a response. I got one when the scroll was picked up by a kunoichi Jounin, who dropped down from the second level. Her salmon hair in a firefly pin, her eyes a light green.

"Wow, that was fast. Second team to come in." She mused. Nero seemed to recognize her because he did that thing where his eyes widened slightly. The Jounin seemed to recognize him too and smiled.

"Nero, right?" A nod. "Glad you made it through. I was beginning to wonder if you got caught up with the mess with that Rain team." I blinked. Nero elbowed me to talk for him. He apparently knew her, but not that well if he didn't want to talk by himself.

"Erm… So, what do we do now?" I asked. The Jounin blinked and laughed.

"Oh right! Head on through the door here and you're on your own… Good luck." She added with a wink and shot back up to the second floor, making me jerk my head up so fast my neck got sore. I looked back at the iron doors that clicked as a signal that they were unlocked. They flew open to reveal a large, concrete arena with another balcony floor above. Across the room was a huge statue and several important looking people who I didn't really recognize. I just guessed they were important since they were dressed like it and acted like it.

My eyes then lifted to see Osamu's team positioned on the balcony floor. He was leaning on the railing, but despite his aloof position, I could tell he was in pain from the cuts and bruises marking him up. His teammates looked a bit roughed up as well.

A familiar voice snapped me out of my stare.

"You guys made it!" Kazuya's voice exclaimed. Hearing his voice made pride and joy swell up inside me and I whipped around, probably displaying odd behavior to the others in the room as I practically tackled Kazuya.

"Kazuya!"

"Whoa! You missed me." Kazuya mused, patting me on the head as I buried my face in his chest, hearing Nero and Akira follow behind me.

"Hey, guys," Kazuya greeted, all smiles, "Were the exams fun?"

"NO!" Our team yelled in unison, glaring. Kazuya sweat dropped, laughing a little awkwardly before averting his eyes with a little huff.

"So negative. The least you could do was pick out one good thing." He sighed. I tried to think and so did Akira. Nero shrugged, looking in the other direction with a smug smirk.

"I gave Ruriko a piggyback ride." He replied.

"Shut up!" I barked, blushing red. Kazuya raised an eyebrow and Akira gave Nero a nice whack in the back of the head for me. Nero whined, holding the back of his head for a bit while Kazuya lectured him, but it wasn't like he was paying any attention. I could see Nero's eyes on the entrance to the arena. Akira was looking at the black screen placed above the statue across the room, reading in yellow letters:

WELCOME TO THE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS

To me, it might as well have said WELCOME TO YOUR DEATH. After the reunion, another team came through the doors. They were a familiar team that I had seen at the first part of the exams, two of the members dressed somewhat like Anbu while the first was adorned with a familiar fan-shaped symbol on her back. Nero recognized her and made me yelp when he barked out the name of the Uchiha dressed girl.

"Koyuki!" He exclaimed. The girl looked up, revealing some bandages placed over her nose and cheek, even one over her left eye. She did manage a smile and approached us, her teammates following, although, the girl seemed to be in a bit of pain while the boy, who looked like her brother, helped her along.

"Nero, you're actually alive. Impressive." Koyuki greet with a smirk. Nero huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Nice to see you too." He retorted, but he was still smiling at her anyway. Made me curious… He was talking to her like a long lost friend. What was up with that? I watched Nero curiously as he gave only a shortened, not drama-filled story of our trek through the forest. He left out the part with Daiki, which cut out a huge chunk, but apparently Koyuki had heard of Botan, so Nero had trouble weaseling his way out of that one, which was pretty funny to watch.

"I think it was Daisuke who mentioned something him," Koyuki mused, "Said he was like your boyfriend or something?" She raised her brow at this, giving Nero a sideways look. Nero blushed red.

"Not my boyfriend! He's just… Really weird. But it's not his fault… What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?" He demanded, seeing Koyuki and her team as well as our own stare at him with doubtful stares. Kazuya came up behind Nero to give him a little hug around the neck, bringing his mouth to his ear and whispering:

"So long as you don't hunt down Ruriko, you can date whoever you want~" I laughed, covering my mouth while Nero gave me a clearly embarrassed glare. We joked around a bit more until two other teams showed up. Daisuke's and Ayaka's, the Kumogakure team showing up a little bit after.

"Wow, are you kidding me?" Akira muttered, watching everyone go to the balcony floor. Kazuya averted his eyes.

"I guess it was harder than I thought. At least you guys made it here alive!" He pointed out with a smile.

"Optimistic as always." The salmon-haired Jounin, Kotori, sang, walking by Kazuya, who beamed in return. I wondered if Kazuya ever noticed that she was totally flirting, but then again, that was practically Kazuya's weakness. His obliviousness to anything romantic or sexual related.

"All right," A voice yelled, alerting everyone to the group of people in front of the statue to see Asuma, "This is the beginning of the preliminary rounds! The computer will randomly select two people to battle it out in the arena, resulting in the elimination of the loser! The fight will go on until one of the opponents cannot longer continue or is incapacitated. I think that's it. We'll be beginning in a half an hour! Until then, the teams may prepare for battle and rest up."

"Then I'm going to the bathroom." I announced, making Nero and Akira roll their eyes. I ignored them and walked past, heading down the steps and through a door that led into a wooden floored hallway with different doors. I walked into the bathroom and grimaced, still feeling a little wet from when I helped Ryuuko get his team back. I sighed and let my hair down to fix it up again just as the door opened. I looked up to see Ayaka walk in. She frowned when she saw me.

"You're the one that attacked that Kumogakure team that caught Honoka and I." She stated, flicking a finger at me. I stared at her, dropping my hands at my sides.

"Yea. Your friend, Ryuuko, needed help." I replied. Ayaka frowned at that, but smirked after a moment, putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't take offense on this or anything… But you shouldn't run around eating people's body parts. It's gross." She stated. I scowled at her.

"Your welcome for helping you." I retorted. Ayaka flinched, then huffed.

"I didn't need your help. I was handling things just fine."

"Against a five-year-old."

"Shut up!" Ayaka snapped and went out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut angrily behind her. I sighed and tied my hair back up, coming out of the bathroom and heading back to the arena. I paused by a window, peeking out at a view of the Forest of Death. For a split second, I wondered how many people had died out here or been wounded so bad, they had no possibility of being a shinobi. I sighed and looked up, then blinked when I saw the little Kumogakure shinobi from before. He was holding his hands in front of him, looking pretty nervous at the forest. I frowned.

"Hey, kid." I stated. He jumped and looked up at me with wide eyes.

"You."

"Name's Ruriko… I'm not going to eat you, calm down. What's your name?" I asked, walking up to him. He glanced around for a second, then down at his feet.

"Yasushi."

"How old are you?"

"Erm… Six."

"Are you serious?" I exclaimed in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes of surprise. I didn't even think it was allowed to have a kid that young in the exams! Yasushi smiled a little sadly, tilting his head up at me.

"My parents made me start early to become a shinobi… But really, I don't want to do any of this." He sighed, looking out the window again. I frowned.

"Did you tell them that?" I asked. Yasushi laughed, but it sounded pretty bitter for a six-year-old.

"Yea, I tried… But they'll get mad at me if I mention it, so I just let it go. Maybe once I become a shinobi, they'll leave me alone." He tried. I smiled a little.

"Yea, I guess… Ya know, you're pretty cute! I'm sorry I almost ate your team." I added, smirking. Yasushi laughed a little. I patted him on the head, unable to really stop looking at him. He was just so cute, all small with big, wide aqua colored eyes that fit his pale aqua green hair that hung slightly over his right eye. I felt the sudden urge to just pinch his cheeks and that scared me, so I walked away, wondering what the hell was wrong with me.

Kids like that were just too cute to resist! Even I had trouble with it and I rarely thought things were cute! I shuddered to myself and kept walking until I walked into someone's back, not paying attention to wear I was going. I jumped back and found myself facing Osamu, who was glaring at me.

"Watch it!" He snapped. I glared at him and poked him hard in the chest.

"Shut up, jerk! I was walking and you got in my way!" I protested. Osamu smirked, despite the insult.

"Heard you literally took a bite outta the Kumogakure team." He stated. I blinked, then twitched with anger. If anyone, Ayaka was probably the one telling everyone just in case they were paired with me for the exam. I scowled.

"So what? You wanted to lose some flesh too?" I asked. Osamu snorted, folding his arms over his chest confidently.

"Oh, please. I'd like to see you get anywhere near me." He retorted. I glared.

"You cocky little brat! I hope I get paired with you so I can shove my foot down your throat and rip your tongue out!" I yelled at him, but he only laughed shortly at me. I went to yell some more, but I felt a pair of arms drop around my shoulders, jerking me back a little in a hug.

"Don't underestimate a cannibal~" Daisuke's voice sang. I twitched and wanted to badly to tackle this guy, but Osamu's expression twisted a little.

"Che." Osamu muttered as he turned on his heel and walked off, pretty peeved. I smirked, then wiggled away from Daisuke, brushing myself off.

"Greet me like a normal person, Daisuke." I told him with an eyebrow raised, as well as a hand to backhand him if he came near me again. Daisuke just laughed.

"Sorry about that. So, you really did eat someone, huh? Can't wait to see your match. It's gonna be interesting." He said, pointing to his mouth to indicate my teeth. I frowned for a second, touching my teeth.

"Can you tell my teeth are sharp?" I asked. Daisuke shrugged.

"If I get real close, like this-" He leaned in, but he only go so far before I held up my hand for him to smack into. I huffed, pushing him back.

"I get the idea!" I replied, huffily. Daisuke grinned, then touched his teeth again.

"Honestly, I think it'd be easier and better if you sharpened them a little more… It looks like it'd be a little less painful when the teeth go in… Ya know?" He raised an eyebrow at me and I clamped my hand over my mouth for a second.

"My teeth are naturally like that… But ow! Wouldn't that hurt?" I cried. Daisuke stared at me.

"You just battled it out in the Forest of Death with your uncle and his goons and you think sharpening your teeth will hurt?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. I sweat dropped.

"Never mind… I'll think about it." I mumbled, earning a grin from him before we went separate ways. Maybe he had a point. Sharpening my teeth didn't sound like a bad idea, save for the painful part probably. I sighed and walked back into the arena, where everyone had now gathered on the main floor. I guess the half hour was up.

I took a spot between Nero and Akira.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Nero, who jumped when I got close to him. Weird. He was jumpy for no reason.

"They're laying down the rules." He whispered back.

"All right," Asuma announced, stepping forward with a blonde woman with big boobs (Probably the legendary 5th Hokage and all her royal bitchiness), "The rules are easy. The computer will pair you up with someone and you will step into the arena. You can start battling once I say start and from there, you know what to do. The battle will stop once one of the opponents is incapacitated or knocked unconscious… When the match is finished, it's finished. No more fighting afterwards or you could be subject to being hospitalized." I felt Akira and Nero both look at me and I twitched.

Huh! I could control myself when I wanted to!

Asuma made us go back up the balcony floor and that's when the tension began. My team was somewhat near Osamu's since Kotori and Kazuya seemed to talk a lot. I gripped the railing, looking down at the arena before doing what everyone else was doing.

Staring at the computer on the wall with wide, eager eyes as bright green words fluttered about randomly before forming two names up on the screen in bold letters:

**Matsuki Sora**

**VS**

**Chi**

I felt myself sigh out of relief. I was excited to see who I'd fight, but at the same time, I was nervous and rather wait a bit. I looked up as Sora leap from her position onto the ground. Chi smirked and followed in.

"Sweet," Akira said from behind mean, leaning his elbows on the rails, "Two hot girls go head to head!"

"Shut up, Akira." I deadpanned, pleased that Kazuya gave him a whack upside the head for his comment. I looked back down at the battle as Sora and Chi approached each other.

"Remember the rules," Asuma told them sternly, "Or you'll be disqualified." Sora gave a nod, looking at Chi determinedly while Chi reflected back with a cocky smirk. She _was_ pretty cocky if she thought she could fight with a chunk of her arm missing. The Kumogakure girl was wearing a thick layer of bandages on her right arm, all the way up to her lilac padded vest.

They parted and Asuma gave the signal, jumping back as Chi whipped around right away to make hand signs. Sora went to do the same, but stopped when she saw water burst from Chi's palms, racing toward her. She winced and leapt back, dodging both harsh sprays. She decided to drop the long rang and rushed forward, whipping out a kunai. Sora was pretty fast from what I could tell and she easily made her way up to her, making a slash at Chi's face. Chi yelped and did a back flip, skidding on the floor as she clamped a hand on her nose, which was gushing blood.

Chi barked out some colorful words before going to make some hand signs, but Sora flung a kunai at her before making a hand sign. Unbelievably, her body lit up in a hot rush of flames, making Chi just stare in awe for a second… Until Sora rushed at her, all flames. Chi yelped and went to dodge, probably thinking that she was going to get hit with just flames, but she was wrong when Sora swung her hand out to reveal a flaming kunai.

Chi's scream echoed off the walls and I stared, my jaw dropping as the hot blade of the weapon sliced right into Chi's already wounded arm. Chi stumbled back, holding her arm to her gut in pain and jumping back away from Sora, who whipped around to face her. Chi quickly worked out a hand sign, gasping at the pain in her arm as she swung a hand forward, water boiling forward. I could see Sora wince, then rush forward at the last minute, meeting the rushing water head on.

"What the hell?" Akira demanded loudly, but the so-thought faulty move revealed the true intentions. Sora burst through the water, now soaking wet and no longer blazing like a candle, coming forward with two kunai in hand, thrusting them both forward. Chi didn't have any time to avoid it as the kunai slashed right through her vest, shirt, and skin. Blood splattered all over the arena. I heard some people whoop in excitement, but the smell of the blood hit me in the face like a blast of hot air on a summer's day. I tensed up, gripping the railing.

"Calm down," Kazuya's voice from behind me, making me jump a little, "It's just a little blood… You can control yourselves." I looked at Akira to see he was looking pretty hungry and tense now too. I looked back to see Chi stumble backwards and hit the ground in a spray of blood from which Sora leapt away from, looking a little surprised that her plan worked. I realized that Chi wasn't much of a thinker. She ran right into the battle, thinking that because Sora was a naturally nice and smart person, that she'd have less strength. Just because someone was smart and nice, didn't make them weak. I hoped Chi learned that for the next battle she stupidly ran into.

I sighed, but smiled a little. I actually had fun watching the battle and I was pleased when Asuma announced Sora's victory. What she did was amazing and that bloodline talent was out of this world! I wouldn't mind being put up against her myself, just to see how much we'd both last.

At that moment, as everyone's eyes drifted to the beeping of the next names… My gut twisted and knotted at the two names on the screen:

**Saki Osamu**

**VS**

**Tsukuyomi Ruriko**

I stared at the screen, feeling the color drain from my face as I looked at Osamu, who seemed just as shocked as I did. As soon as our eyes met, though, we lost all the tiny traces of doubt and we were down in the arena in a flash.

This was gonna be fun.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Wow! I actually liked this chapter. :D I was glad to write Sora's bloodline trait cuz I thought it was pretty cool. lol. I didn't plan to bring in the Kumogakure team in again, but… I really felt like adding a cute adorable little kid in there. :D So, yup! Meet Yasushi. ;D Anyway, thanks for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are loved with a passion!**


	12. Chapter 12

**WOO. I stuck two battles in this chapter. I may try and do that for the other ones as well, maybe three to a chapter. Depends because I'm really super excited to get to the Shippuden version.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Chi**

**Shichi**

**Yasushi**

**A/N: YOU MUST READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END! IT IS VERY IMPORTANT!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twelve: **A Very Sore Loser. Never Lose Your Cool.**

This was it. It was time to kick some butt and I was feeling pretty good about it now as I faced Osamu in the arena. I could tell he was as twitchy and eager as I was as Asuma came out and held up his arms.

"Don't forget the rules… BEGIN!" He managed to step back, probably pleased that either of us rushed into this. Osamu smirked at me.

"Normally I'd say, this is your last chance to forfeit, but seeing you fight in the Forest of Death makes me want to kick your butt even more than letting you walk off scot-free." He said. I snorted.

"I wouldn't run away from you. You're about as scary as a little girl." I smirked, grinning at him. Osamu twitched, then thrust a finger out at me.

"That's it, you're dead, you cocky bitch!" He yelled and whipped out a string of hand signs. That was the beginning of a painful battle. I leapt back, avoiding a huge explosion of hot flames. I dodged to the side, getting ready to make hand signs when I felt something slam into my back and knock me forward. I hit the ground, hard, gasping in surprise. I jerked my head up to see Osamu smirking confidently at me. I whipped around to see what I had hit, but saw nothing.

I scrambled to my feet to avoid a line of shuriken zooming at me. I back flipped over them, while at the same time making several hand signs and holding my fingers out. Sparks of electricity burst at the tips and shot forward. Osamu winced and went to dodge, one of the currents striking him hard in the arm. He cursed out loud and grasped his arm quickly before glaring at me. That's when I noticed something weird.

His eyes. The pupil had shrunk to an unbelievable size and that was the last thought I had on that when something hit me head on, like some big muscle guy barreled right into me. I hit the ground, skidding and slamming into the arena wall. Pain exploded in my head and back. I gasped, struggling to just sit up. My eyes fogged for a moment before I blinked it away. I cupped the back of my head and pulled it away to find a little bit of blood. I grimaced and jerked my head up to see Osamu patting at his arm where a scorch mark had burnt his skin.

I took my chance and leapt to my feet, making hand signs. But it was like he expected me to do that because the hand that I assumed had been dangling lifelessly, had made a hand sign. I stared, then yelped when Osamu whipped around to face me again, spewing a round of round fireballs. I ducked most of them before pushing off the ground and tearing out some kunai, flinging them down. Osamu dodged them easily, then smirked at me. I noticed that his pupil was slowly getting back to normal, though as I met his eyes before something slammed into me, throwing me into the ground.

I gasped and held the side of my face, feeling sticky wet blood running down my face. I gritted my teeth angrily and whipped around, swinging my leg around. My heel connected with Osamu's jaw, sending him flying to the side and into the concrete floor. I heard another round of swearing as Osamu jumped to his feet. I was right behind him, already on my feet with my hands moving. Osamu wiped blood from his jaw with the back of his fist, then winced as a charge of thick electricity went at him. He jumped backwards, then yelped when the electricity caught the leg of his shorts, catching flame to it.

He landed back to the ground and went to smack the fire out, giving me the chance to run forward as fast as I could. It couldn't have been ten seconds since the last time I was hit with nothing before it happened again. This time, it felt like someone had sucker punched me right in the gut before having a go at my chin, sending me into the air and back down.

Pain racked my body and it was so numbing, I felt like passing out right then and there, but I forced myself to get up, just in time for Osamu to appear in front of me, grabbing the front of my vest and jerking me off my feet into the air.

"Che," He smirked at me, "If that's all you got, then I'm surprised you even lived in a fight against Daiki. Then again, he probably went easy on you, being your uncle and all." I twitched.

"Shut the hell up!" I barked in his face and swung my foot forward. Osamu yelped in pain and let go of me to stumble back, holding his arms over his gut. I ran forward, elbowing him in the face and knocking him back before rushing after him.

It happened again!

This time, I was ready. I felt the tingling sensation of someone behind me and dodged to the side, feeling the harsh breeze of whatever was in the air, coming at me. I smirked triumphantly, looking at Osamu to see if he had a reaction. He did.

He was cursing before he whipped out a set of hand signs, conjuring up a hurricane of flames that heated up the entire room beyond belief. I jumped back, hissing when I felt the skin on my arms burn. I tore them down and saw the skin burnt red with some black marks. I grimaced and jerked my head up, gasping in surprise as Osamu shot from the flames, grabbing the front of my vest again. I winced as he jerked me up and reeled his good fist back.

"Nice job dodging that," Osamu muttered, "Most people don't know what's going on." With that, he brought his fist forward… At the same time as I gathered up a raging hot amount of chakra into my hand. I grabbed Osamu's jaw quickly and sent as many volts of electricity into the simple touch as possible. Osamu's eyes lit up with pain and he gasped, followed by a sharp scream that made my already sore ears ring. He let go immediately and stumbled back. I ran at him, aiming to punch him. He caught my wrist just before I could hit him. I gasped and he swung his fist up, hitting me in the cheek. Blood gathered in my mouth as I spat it up at him, watching it splatter on his dark green jacket.

Osamu cursed at me before twisting my wrist around so my arm was behind my back. He pushed my head forward as if to put me in a submission position, but I swung my foot back, hitting him in the stomach and causing him to skid back across the ground. I whipped around just in time to make hand signs. The arena suddenly filled with a thick black fog that rolled across the floor. There was coughing and some comments from the spectators above, but I stayed dead silent.

I heard Osamu's shoes scuff on the floor and I crouched low, carefully and quietly pulling out a kunai. This was it. No more playing around. I was going to knock this kid unconscious for days!

I slunk through the fog, careful not to stir it up and alert Osamu to my presence. However, I could already see something stirring up the fog. I frowned and sank lower to the ground, peeking around. I couldn't see a single thing, let alone hear. I listened closer, but not a thing could be heard, except for some murmuring from the others that were driving me insane.

I carefully took a step forward, but something caught me around the ankle and tore me to the ground. Instinct made me cry out in surprise before my body hit the concrete floor and I was torn across it by the same invisible force that had repeatedly bashed me around before.

I eventually found myself torn across the room and at Osamu's feet. He held a kunai his fist, smirking at me past blood, bruises, and scorch marks.

"Nice move, but it looks like it wasn't enough. See ya in the stands, Tsukuyomi." He swung the kunai down and blood splattered all over the floor. The fog began to curl away, sucking itself into non-existence and revealing the scene to the others, who stared in shock.

What had happened was that I swung my leg out at the last second, knocking Osamu off his feet and causing him to jam the kunai into my upper arm as well as cutting into his palm so our blood was smeared on our clothes and the floor. I breathed hard, shoving at Osamu, who had toppled on top of me.

He propped himself up, yelling in pain at his cut hand before he tore the kunai from my shoulder, making me bark out a swear word in pain. Osamu glared down at me.

"You just don't know when to go peacefully, do you?" He asked. I gathered the blood up in my mouth and spat at him, clasping a hand over the wound in my shoulder as I glared up at him, smirking.

"Fuck no, asshole." I retorted, gathering up as much chakra as lightening as possible in the hand that I had at mine and Osamu's guts before I thrust it forward. This time, it felt like a shower of blood rained down on us. Osamu's pupils seemed to grow larger and his eyes flashed. His lips popped open as a stream of blood leaked down into my face. I stared at him, waiting to see if he'd pass out after having my fist jammed into his gut with a ton of volts of electricity. Then he slowly smirked.

"That was cool," He managed, blood dribbling from past his lips and hitting me in the face, "You probably would have had me… If you hadn't of dropped your guard." I blinked, frowning in confusion before Osamu swung his fist down, the one with the kunai.

The blade jammed into my shoulder, where I could feel it hit the bone. Osamu jerked on it, making me choke and scream in agony. Pain burst like fireworks in my shoulder as he jerked the blade back, taking out some flesh on it. He tore away from me, tearing off his jacket the best he could and holding it over his gut. He was breathing hard and so was I as I struggled to get up.

My right arm was completely useless now as blood gushed from the ground, creating a thick puddle on the ground. My vision was blurring and I was struggling to stay standing at the numbing agony that filled my body. Before I knew it, my legs gave out from under me and I was on my knees, gasping for air.

"How… Can you stay…. Standing…?" I managed to seethe. Osamu seemed to be trembling, blood streaming down the sides of his mouth.

"I'm too close… There's no way… I'm going to lose now…" He spat at me, gritting his teeth. I smirked faintly.

"I'm not going to lose." I stated and squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to my feet, shaking all over. I was losing blood. A lot of it. From the looks of it, so was Osamu. I was still impressed that he could stand. I stumbled a little and made a hand sign with my good hand. Osamu grimaced as I held out two fingers toward him, electricity crackling around them.

I wanted to give up to be honest. My body was achy, sore, weak. I probably wouldn't be able to move onto the third round of the exams at this rate. My body would take forever to heal from this, unless they had a great medic ninja, but I doubted they had one on hand.

And that's when it happened. Just like that. I felt the familiar strength curl around my ankles first, then my legs, my hips, my arms and up to my chest. I gasped, my arm having been forced to my side. I looked at Osamu, who was breathing hard and smiling confidently at the same time.

"This was a good fight… I'm glad I had the chance. I might even stop calling you a brat for being able to stay standing for this long… But I think we've both had enough. Call it quits or I'll go further." He explained. I glared at him and spat up a glob of blood, that hit the concrete with a spatter sound. In that instant, I felt like the world closed in on me. Pain made my will to stop yelling shatter and my voice ripped up my throat as a screamed 'fuck' as the air around me crushed hard. I felt like my head was going to explode and my bones were all going to turn to dust, my flesh becoming gooey globs. I wondered if he was going to kill me in that split second before all the pressure was released in a matter of seconds.

I gasped as it burst away in a whipping of wind, knocking me to my knees. Osamu gasped out in pain and clamped a hand over the right side of his face, gritting his teeth. I felt frozen, other than the trembling. My body wasn't moving anymore.

I lost.

I could hear Asuma yelling that the match had ended…

"Saki Osamu has won the match!" Rage hit me like a hard wave, harder than the blast of wind or chakra or whatever it was that Osamu had used against me. My body grew hot and I felt my stomach and lungs clench. I jerked my head from the upright position and I shot to my feet. Osamu's eyes widened as he took a step back in surprise.

Rage roared in my ears as rushing blood. I didn't care if this match was fucking over! I was going to kill this asshole! I had just reached him before I felt an arm around my neck tightly, a hand gripping the one I had out to grab Osamu by the neck. I growled angrily, baring my teeth at Osamu, who was now being tightly held by Kotori.

"The match is over, Ruriko," Kazuya said quietly from behind me, being the one to stop me, "That's enough…" I screamed in frustration.

"NO! I'm not finished with him yet!" I yelled furiously. I wanted to rip this jerk apart! I didn't lose! I'm not done yet! I jerked at Kazuya's grip to make a grab at Osamu, who looked like he wanted to hit me, but Kotori held onto him tightly, almost as if she was afraid that I'd really kill her Genin.

"Ruriko, the match is done! If you keep trying to fight, you'll get disqualified from the Chuunin Exams altogether and you won't be able to try again next year!" Kazuya barked, wincing as he kept a tighter grip on me.

"I don't care," I snarled, "I'm going to kill him! I don't need these stupid exams to prove that I'm capable! I could rip every last one of you apart! Fucking damn it!" Even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. Already, I could feel the pain inside me eating the rage away, making me slightly dizzy and sick. I was still tense, glaring at Osamu past closing eyelids before I finally felt my body give out against Kazuya.

**Nero's POV**

I stared, my fists gripping the railings so tight, my knuckles turned white. My eyes were wide and my teeth were digging into my lower lip as I watched Ruriko faint from blood loss, exhaustion, and probably rage. Beside me, Akira was practically doing the same as me before he spoke.

"That's not right…" He managed. I jerked my head at him, unable to say anything. No, Kishi said something first from Akira's other side.

"She almost killed him!" She cried worriedly, digging her nails into her arms as she shuddered at the thought. I grimaced. Akira frowned and suddenly looked a bit angrier.

"That's not right! Something's wrong. Ruriko wouldn't have acted like that… She would have given up before… Why is she acting like this?" He asked, looking at me helplessly.

"I know," I muttered, getting what he meant, "She's been acting weird ever since we met up with Daiki in the Forest of Death… He must have said something…" My voice drifted as I watched Akira panic a little.

"She wasn't like this before, you remember, right? She used to accept her defeats gracefully. Sure, she cursed people out for beating her, but she knew when someone was tougher than her and she made up excuses not to fight! Nero, something's not right…"

"Akira," I snapped, making him jump, "Stop that! I know something's wrong. Ruriko's changed. She's determined to become a Chuunin, but now she seems to have a different goal. Quite frankly, I would be pissed if she forfeited this match… Even so. Just be glad she's alive. If that guy had kept up what he was doing, Ruriko would have turned to mush." Akira frowned, but he still looked worried as hell.

We looked back to the arena to watch a medic team put Ruriko and Osamu on stretchers, carrying them away. Kazuya and Kotori both returned, Kotori looking a little more concerned.

"Kazuya…" Akira looked at him worriedly. Kazuya sighed, probably wanting to ignore the blood splattered on the front of his uniform.

"Ruriko and Osamu are going to the hospital… Their wounds were in critical condition… I'll talk to the Hokage later as well as the other Jounin to see if Ruriko is going to be disqualified from the exams." He murmured and rubbed his temples tiredly. Akira grimaced. I bit into my lip again and glanced back down at the arena.

I had a strong feeling Ruriko was going to be disqualified. I only hoped Kazuya could work his magic.

Everyone was murmuring about the previous battle, buzzing like bees actually. I heard Kazuya and Kotori talking behind us.

"I'm sorry, Kotori… I don't know what got into her." Kazuya apologized.

"Calm down, Kazuya… It's a battle…" Even as she said it, I knew she was a little shaken up. Without a doubt, Ruriko was tempted to actually take a killer bite out of Osamu. I'd be a little freaked too.

I wanted to keep listening in on their conversation, but the computer screen on the wall began to buzz as words fluttered across the screen crazily. Two names hit the screen.

**Kawaguchi Ryuuko**

**VS**

**Yasushi**

"What the hell?" Was Kotori's first comment. We followed her eyes to the arena and I was pretty shocked myself. A kid no older than five or six made his way onto the arena, looking pretty disappointed that he was even picked this early. Ryuuko hopped down. He didn't even looked that pleased either.

They faced each other in the arena, both looking a little stoic. It made me grimace. Yasushi was only a kid and he already looked like he as a trained robot. Asuma frowned a little too, but held up his arm, getting ready to give the signal.

"Why do they have a kid in these exams?" Kotori demanded. Kazuya blinked, looking just as unnerved.

"I don't know… He only looks like he's five. What is the Raikage even thinking, letting a kid that young into the exams?" He wondered aloud.

"I think he's cute." Akira deadpanned, earning some 'what the fuck' looks from the people on our side of the balcony. I was wondering, for a while there, if Akira was really getting mature, but I can see his pervert-sense is still in tact.

Great.

Down below, Asuma dropped his arms.

"BEGIN!" He stepped back. Ryuuko seemed to be giving Yasushi a once over before frowning.

"How old are you?" He asked. Yasushi jumped a little, seeming pretty skittish now.

"Mm… What does that have to do with the battle? Why don't you just attack me already and we can call it quits?" He asked. Ryuuko blinked.

"You don't even want to do this, do you?" He questioned, almost feeling bad for the kid. Yasushi smiled a little, kinda sad like.

"Not really, but I don't have much of a choice." He replied. Ryuuko waited, probably thinking if he should even bother with this battle or not before he nodded and held out his hand.

"Kawaguchi Ryuuko." He stated. Yasushi blinked, looking at Ryuuko's hand a little suspiciously before taking it. Ryuuko fairly shook it. I expected that much. My impression of Ryuuko was that he was pretty quiet and had good manners, not getting cocky and loud like some of the others. Although, it kind of peeved me off that Ruriko would smile when he talked about him.

In a split second, the battle started, both Genin skidding backwards. I expected there to be Taijutsu, but from the looks of it, probably not. Yasushi looked too small to be able to fight off Ryuuko physically. In a flash, Yasushi was whipping out some pretty good ninjutsu. Ryuuko caught up easily, sending a roar of water bullets at Yasushi, who blasted forth a wall of wind to block the attack.

From the look of it, Yasushi was trying to get still. Like he wanted to stand there and do nothing. Ryuuko seemed to notice it too and quickly sent another shot of water. Yasushi yelped and dodged to the side, getting splashed with a bit of water. Ryuuko immediately went to attack Yasushi close range, but Yasushi went very still at that point before thrusting out his hand at Ryuuko.

At that point, everyone saw the same thing. Blue chakra strings shot out and hit Ryuuko's arms. Ryuuko immediately stopped, wincing as if it were painful. Yasushi was still frozen solid, only his fingers shifting slightly. Ryuuko jerked a little, gritting his teeth and it looked like he was trying to mentally break away from the chakra strings.

I frowned. That was a weird jutsu. Probably a bloodline jutsu, but what exactly did it do?

We pretty much found out a couple seconds later when Ryuuko's body seemed to go limp and Yasushi was still frozen, but his eyes looked pretty blank. Ryuuko lifted his head to reveal Ryuuko's eyes to be cloudy and dazed.

"Thanks for telling me your name," Yasushi said, "Or else I wouldn't be able to make you forfeit."

"That's a nifty jutsu if you don't like fighting." Kotori commented, raising an eyebrow and folding her arms over her chest. Kazuya nodded in agreement. Yasushi shifted his fingers a little and Ryuuko seemed to move on his own, standing up straight and raising up a hand, his lips parting, but no sound came out.

Yasushi seemed to be twitching slightly and finally yelped out loud. The sound of it was obvious. Before getting caught in the trap, Ryuuko had thrust a kunai in Yasushi's direction, but it only sliced Yasushi's leg. I guess just that little move saved his life because the chakra strings snapped and seemed to sparkle into non-existence as Yasushi grabbed his ankle in pain. Ryuuko snapped out his stupor, blinking.

In a flash, he whipped out a kunai and flung it forward again. Yasushi ducked to the side. Now that Ryuuko knew his plan, I don't think Yasushi stood a chance. Ryuuko was flinging kunai after kunai, then shuriken at Yasushi to keep him on his toes. With Yasushi hopping around to avoid it and get still, Ryuuko finally delivered the final blow.

A pretty hard hit wave of water that smacked right into Yasushi, knocking him off his feet and skidding across the concrete, scraping up his arms and his left cheek. Blood was smeared across the floor, mixing with water in puddles. Yasushi panted, struggling to push himself up on his hands and knees.

Ryuuko walked up to him, but didn't make a hit on him. Instead, he looked down at Yasushi kind of like he was tired.

"Give up," He stated, "If you go on, you'll get hurt. You're way too young for these exams… Wait and come back when you're older." Yasushi stared up at him for a bit, then lowered his eyes. It was quiet for a while until Yasushi finally spoke.

"I give up." He said quietly. I frowned. It didn't look like this kid even wanted to be a ninja. Ryuuko held out his hand and helped Yasushi to his feet, ignoring how Ayaka was yelling at him. Chi, who only needed her arm in a sling and some bandages on her torso, was yelling at Yasushi too.

"Can you believe that? He gave up!" She was shouting, smacking her brother, Shichi, with her fist. Shichi just frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"That guy's right." Was all he responded with before Chi blew up in his face for it. Even so, I saw Yasushi smile at Ryuuko and say something, but his teammates were being too loud for me to catch it. Whatever it was, it made Ryuuko blink and smile back. At least not all the battles were hostile, like Osamu and Ruriko's…

The computer up on the way dinged, alerting everyone to stare at it and the names printed on its digital surface.

**Souh Kasumi**

**VS**

**Tsukuyomi Akira**

I was actually pretty confident in Akira's abilities, but I just hoped he didn't do something stupid because he obviously got serious in a serious, serious situation. Just as I thought this, Akira leapt down from the second balcony at the same time Kasumi did.

"You're not gonna act like your sister there, are you?" Kasumi asked for confirmation, smirking cockily as she put her hands on her hips. Akira sweat dropped, before huffing and folding his arms over his chest.

"Hell no. I'm gonna kick your ass." He stated. Kasumi laughed.

"Of course you are." She teased. Akira just smirked back at her.

Maybe Akira was going to lose after all.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: ATTENTION. I am nearing the end of the beginning of Shadows of Heroes and I will be adding the Shippuden version in this same fan fiction. It is very important that you send me the SHIPPUDEN VERSION of your OCs if you wish to appear in it. If you don't send me one before I begin the Shippuden, I will probably count your OC out and I am sorry for that. When you send me your Shippuden Version Character Bios, please include any pairings that you may have in mind with your characters! Maybe an OCXOC or OCXCharacter. However, I already have three characters from the show already taken. And they as follows: Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi, and Uchiha Sasuke. HOWEVER, Sasuke will not be taken for long. Only for about a couple chapters since I really don't like Sakura, I just like the kids I made up for them. ;D If I get more than one person wanting a character, I will have to see who could be more compatible and please ask that you pick a different character… Or you can get in contact with the person who already took your wanted character and you can come to compromise, then PM me. Well, I think that's it for the important message… :'D Damn, it's long! Anyway, so thanks so very much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews would be super, very appreciated!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, I think I have three battles in this one? And a random ending. :'D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Shichi**

**Chi**

**Yasushi**

**A/N: Btw, the beginning of this is in Akira's POV!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirteen: **A Burnt Past! SHIT, I Lost, Big Time.**

"BEGIN!" Asuma yelled. Right away, Kasumi ran at me with the intent to kick my ass into the floor, but she was in for a surprise. Kasumi reached behind her and unhooked her scythe from her back, immediately bringing it around to hit me. I leapt back, just as the scythe went across my belly, slicing into my shirt as well as my belly. It stung when I landed in a crouch across the arena away from her and her weapon. Kasumi smirked.

"Where ya doin'? Are you going to back out like the kid?" She asked. I stood up straight, placing my hand over my belly lightly.

"No, I was just waiting to see where your weak points are." I replied honestly, watching her crinkle her nose. She probably just assumed I was getting over-confident because she whipped around and ran at me again. From what I could see, she was fast and good user of Taijutsu. Not so much my strong point.

She came at me again, this time I only ducked, making a hand sign with one hand and hitting my other against her gut. The tips of my fingers glowed blue and as soon as they touched her gut, she gasped and tore backwards, stumbling and holding her stomach.

"What the hell…?" She seethed. I stood up straight, showing her my hand.

"Medical ninjutsu. It's too bad we didn't meet in the forest or else you'd know what to do." I sighed, then bolted forward at her. She winced and swung her scythe at me again, but I managed to duck the weapon, skidding across the concrete on my knees. Of course, I left smears of blood and skin in my wake, but I managed to grab her hips in mine while my medical ninjutsu was at work. I pushed upwards and bit down on her wrist.

Kasumi's eyes went wide. I smirked up at her as she flung her wrist up, crying out in pain as my teeth sank into her skin. She smelled good, I noted as I jerked my head away to avoid her elbow colliding with my head.

I fell back on my back, looking up as Kasumi swung her scythe down at me. I rolled out of the way, scrambling to my feet just as she brought the scythe down again. I yelped as it hit the concrete beside me. I managed to stand upright and jump out the way as her scythe slashed at me.

It's blade cut right into my bicep, blood spurting from the wound. I winced and looked up in time for Kasumi's fist to slam into my jaw, knocking me backwards into the floor. I wiped the blood from my mouth quickly, leaping to my feet in time to dodge another slash at me. She was fast, that was for damn sure.

She went to slash at me again, but this time, being the quick guy I am, swung my hand out and… Made the mistake of hitting her right in the chest, right over her heart while my ninjutsu was still a go. Kasumi froze before she coughed up a glob of blood, letting go of her scythe and letting it clatter to the ground.

She stumbled for a second and hit the ground on her knees. I winced and caught her before she completely fell. I heard a shout or two, telling me to drop her and claim my win, but there was no way I'd do that.

I hadn't meant to hit that spot and it was a pretty bad place to hit with the jutsu I had going. From the looks of it, I tore something inside near her heart and that was really dangerous, so I quickly laid her on her back.

"Akira, what the hell are you doing?" I heard Nero back at me from above. I ignored him and the fact that Asuma claimed me the winner as I got on my knees by Kasumi, who was gasping for air.

"Calm down," I soothed, "I hit something… Let me fix it."

"But. You. Won." Kasumi breathed, looking up at me. I smiled as I held my hands over her internal wound.

"I don't really care at this point… You're hurt and I want to help you so you won't have the disability of missing your teammates' matches like my moronic sister." I replied. Kasumi stared at me, but she didn't struggle while I did my magic. They wouldn't have to send her to the hospital or even a medical squad if I could find what I tore and fixed it.

I sent my chakra in, twisting and turning around the area of her heart before I found the tissue that had torn. I concentrated hard, ignoring the sweat on my face as I slowly shut the wound inside. Kasumi breathed deeply for a while, staring up at me still.

"Thanks…" She managed. I beamed.

"No problem. By the way, you're kinda cute. Wanna hang out?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and smacked her hand in my face, probably a big fat rejection, but she was smirking at the same time, which made me smile past her hand.

So, maybe Ruriko and Hioshi knew how to make enemies, like our dad, but if there was one thing I could do, it was be friendly with an opponent, just like Kazuya and our mother.

I helped Kasumi to her feet and we went back to our places on the balcony, me beaming the entire time. Nero rolled his eyes, folding his arms on the railing as he leaned.

"Idiot. If you go around healing your enemies, you'll be dead before you can become a Jounin." He retorted. I huffed.

"Just because you're a jerk, doesn't mean I am." I mocked, earning a smack in the back of the head. I yelped and glared at him, then got a pat on the head from Kazuya, who smiled at me.

"That was good, Akira. I'm proud of you for being honorable." He replied. I blinked, surprised at first, then beamed at him.

"Thanks, sensei!"

**Nero's POV**

I rolled my eyes. Akira was such a suck up. I paused, staring down into the arena, ignoring the computer screen that was buzzing through names. I was watching Asuma smoke. It wavered right up to my spot and sadly, it made me want to drool. I hadn't had a cigarette since we left Sunagakure and already, I felt like I was going into withdrawal. I sighed sadly, then jumped when the computer screen dinged.

**Akiyama Eiji**

**VS**

**Kamaya Mai**

I frowned and glanced down the railing at Eiji. From what I gathered, he was a quiet guy and pretty much obedient. He didn't say much when we battled in the Forest of Death nor did he bother to voice his opinions.

As for Mai, she seemed pretty calm and collected for her age. She was smart, good-looking, and didn't need to say too much to show that she got annoyed with cocky brats, like Akira or Daisuke or even Ruriko. I couldn't tell if she was a good match against Eiji or not.

Both of them hopped into the arena, although, Eiji looked a bit reluctant until Kishi gave him a little nudge and a hopeful smile. For some reason, when I watched them face off at that moment, I realized something was weird about Mai. Her ice blue eyes seemed really cold and like they were hiding something.

And how close to the truth that was.

"BEGIN!" Asuma announced. Mai struck first. She bolted forward and already had a kunai out to attack. Eiji's eyes flickered behind his glasses and he dodged to the side quickly. Mai whipped around to slash at him. Eiji did mostly ducking. For a second, I was wondering what Mai was doing. She looked like she was wasting valuable time, so I guessed she was trying to tire him out, but when I looked at Eiji, he didn't look all that tired.

Mai then caught the front of Eiji's torso, jerking him up off his feet. Eiji's body jolted and that's when I saw what was happening. Mai was trying to get close enough so she could let her eyes glow bright red. I saw Eiji's body tense and his eyes widen.

"What bloodline is that?" I heard Akira demand. Before anyone could answer him, Eiji screamed. I jumped at the sound. I didn't even know he could scream. Kotori jumped too and automatically grabbed the railing so tight, her knuckles grew white. Kazuya grimaced.

From what I could see, Mai only had her eyes locked on Eiji's. That's when I started to see bruises. They just appeared out of nowhere on Eiji's jaw and the corner of his eye. The right lens of his glasses cracked and the bandages on his left arm fell away as if someone ripped them off.

I stared in shock, watching as the bandages peeled away to reveal numerous scars and bruises. I immediately recognized them and my hands went to my arms, gripping them tightly as I stared.

Those marks. I knew those marks. Because I've had them before. Those marks are what parents like to call 'I love you', depending if they lied or were honest with their kids. Those scars, those bruises, were not from a battle against another shinobi, but a battle for survival in your own household.

I gritted my teeth and clamped my hands over my ears, trying to will Eiji's cries of pain from my mind.

Thank the gods that Eiji finally flung his foot forward, kicking Mai in the stomach and making her gasp in pain, her eyes flickering back to their normal, icy blue. She dropped Eiji and skidded back. Eiji hit the floor, shaking a little and staring at the floor as if he were paralyzed.

I let go of my ears after realizing that I had dug my nails into them as I watched Eiji struggle to get to his feet. Mai grasped her stomach before bolting forward again. Eiji managed to duck to the side before swinging his foot out and kicking her in the side, knocking her back across the floor.

Mai grimaced a little, then finally spun back around. Her eyes were glowing red again and this time Eiji's eyes sparkled, like he was watching some kind of terror movie. He gasped and sounded like he was choking before his hands flew to his throat. From what I could see, it actually looked like someone was strangling him. Red marks grew on his neck, where someone's fingers might be.

In a second, Eiji gasped, a bit of spittle running down his chin before he choked out the same words Yasushi had used at the end of his battle.

"I give up." I grimaced. I probably would have done the same. There was no way in hell I was fighting her… Unless I could go blind or something. A medical team offered to help, but Eiji just shook his head, only accepting a roll of bandages for the one's he lost on his arm. I wanted to say something, anything as he went by me to meet with Kotori and Kishi, but my mouth wouldn't work. I just looked at my feet stupidly when he went by and I could also feel Akira's and Kazuya's eyes on me.

It was kind of embarrassing and, I dunno, just uncomfortable when people knew that your parents were morons. I guess that's why Eiji bandaged up his arms and legs. I sighed, leaning my elbow on the railing as I thought about it some more. All my wounds and scars were gone by now, but that didn't mean that the abuse left a mental scar…

**MEANWHILE (Ruriko's POV)**

Pain. Lots of it. And those damned needles. I hated hospitals. They stunk like sick and dying people, they were way too white and the doctors thought they were the smartest people on the planet. It pissed me off.

My arm was sore and I had found out that Osamu had used the kunai to dig at the joint in my shoulder. It took a lot of work to get it fixed and even now it was wrapped up and in a sling as I lay propped up with disgusting white pillows. They forced me to wear a baggy navy blue shirt and paler blue pants.

I had some stitches tied on the deeper cuts I had, some bandages tied up and a gauze pad stuck to my cheek. I was in a shitty mood because I found out who my roommate was.

In the bed beside me, Osamu was lying propped up too. His entire torso was bandaged up, having been stitched and worked on by professional medical ninja. He was pretty much like me with band aids and stitches. He was still asleep, out of it from the anesthetic, but he was bound to wake up sooner or later.

Which he did in a few seconds.

His black eyes fluttered open sleepily as he shifted under the white sheets. He grumbled, something about a rice ball or something or other. He opened his eyes wider when he realized where he was.

"No! Crap! I didn't pass out, did I?" He yelled angrily. I snorted.

"Shut the hell up, ya baby! This is a hospital!" I snapped. Osamu twitched, then glared at me.

"You? I have to share a room with you?"

"Hey! It's not the greatest birthday gift I've gotten either, jackass!" I snarled at him and jerked my head the other way. Osamu huffed.

"I'll say." He retorted. We sat in silence for a bit, fuming. He had the nerve to bark at me like that, the little snot.

"… What do you mean birthday present anyway?" Osamu asked at last, glancing at me. I rolled my eyes.

"The exams. My stupid birthday is on the day before the final rounds." I muttered. Osamu raised an eyebrow.

"You're serious?" He asked. I scowled.

"Why would I lie?"

"… Because that's my birthday too." Osamu muttered. I stared at him and for some weird reason, I started laughing. Osamu blinked, then glared at me.

"Are you on drugs or something? What's so funny?" He demanded.

"Nothing! I just think it's ironic! We're both total obnoxious loud mouths and our birthdays are on the same day!" I laughed. It was kinda weird and ironic! Osamu cocked his brow at me before smirking a little, then laughing.

"I wonder what else we have in common!" It was kinda weird. The guy I attacked in the exams is actually a lot… Well, nicer than I thought, I guess.

"What're you gonna do now that you're not gonna be a Chuunin?" Osamu asked after a while. I paused, rolling my eyes up at the ceiling as if the answer was written there before shrugging.

"Hell if I know. Probably go back to my village and find a different way to become a Chuunin. My brother, Hioshi, eventually became a Chuunin after he failed. I think he just sat on his ass and did some dirty work." I explained. Osamu smirked.

"Sounds easier said than done."

"I guess so. What about you? How's it feel to be a Chuunin?" I asked, smiling. Osamu tilted his head, smiling a little.

"Really good, actually. I feel like I got more mature. When you become a Chuunin, come back to Konoha and we'll fight it out again. See who's gonna win next time." He replied. I beamed.

"That sounds like a great idea! I'd give ya a thumbs up if my arm wasn't messed up." I added with a sigh, letting my head rest on my pillows. Osamu laughed a bit.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine…" I drawled, stretching my good arm and folding it behind my head. I could feel Osamu giving me a deadpan stare.

"Ya know, you could apologize for almost ripping out my stomach and trying to kill me." He muttered. I blinked and looked at him out the corner of my eye before laughing cockily.

"Chya right! Isn't that the point of a battle?" I asked, closing my eyes and smirking. I was surprised when I felt a jerk on the front of my shirt and my eyes flew open to find Osamu on my bed, grabbing the front of my shirt.

"You brat! I take back my apology!" He yelled in my face comically, a stream of red from anger on his face. I laughed at him and pushed on him.

"Get the hell offa me, ya dumbass! I don't need your apology!"

"Fuck this, I'm going to kick your ass as soon as we get outta this hospital!" Osamu announced, standing on my bed. I glared up at him, but I still had my smirk on.

"Che, you really wanna end up as nothing, but a pile of guts on my plate? Go right on ahead!" I boosted.

"You're so cocky!"

"You're such a hypocrite!"

"Says the one who got her butt whooped!"

"That's it! Get off me before I tear your throat out!" I barked and heaved myself to my feet to grab him. However, we were given a shock when a familiar someone came barreling into the room at top speed.

Rock Lee.

And he ran right into the bed. Osamu flailed and yelped when he lost his footing, falling forward right on top of me. Pain shot up my spine and I cried out in response, which was pretty much a fail because Osamu's face hit mine and we both yelled in pain.

"Oh! Am I interrupting something?" Lee grinned. I grimaced, then found myself staring into Osamu's eyes, both our faces going red.

"GROSS!" We both yelled at the same time. I shoved Osamu off me and onto the floor, where he scrambled to his feet.

"I'd never kiss him on purpose!" I protested, watching Lee make dramatic kissy faces. Osamu stuck his tongue out at me, folding his arms over his chest before looking at Lee with a huff.

"So why'd you even come in here?" He asked, glaring at Lee for being childish. Lee blinked, then straightened up with an almost grim expression.

"Uh, do you want to hear the news in front of someone or would you rather me just say it?" He asked hesitantly, pushing his index fingers together with a thick raised eyebrow. I frowned.

"I just embarrassed myself in front of you with Osamu and my teammates. Give it to me straight." I ordered. Lee sighed, waited a second, then glanced up at me.

"As far as everyone knows… You are not allowed to take the Chuunin Exams ever again."

That hit me hard. Before, I had been joking with Osamu and I think he knew I was joking too, but this time, Lee's joking expression was painfully serious. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my lungs for a second.

Not allowed to take the exams? What if Akira and Nero became Chuunin and I was left behind? What if I had to stay a Genin forever?

"Ruriko, did you hear me?" Lee asked, but he was quiet about it. Osamu frowned, looking at Lee.

"Thanks for the news, Lee. It's fine…" He said softly, nodding. Lee nodded back, heading for the door before glancing back, looking a little sad.

"I am sorry. I did not want to be the one to tell you." He sighed before departing, closing the door. Osamu looked at me.

"Ruriko…" He sounded like he was struggling to say something. I really just wanted to smash something. A wall, a vase, a skull, anything, but I just gripped the sheets with my good hand.

"What? I sorta deserve it… I did try and kill you." I managed. Osamu shifted from foot to foot.

"Hey… It's fine. It's like you said, right? It's just a battle… And… Maybe you can became a Chuunin in a different way, like your brother." He added helpfully, but it wasn't working as good as either of us hoped.

"I guess," I agreed faintly, but I still felt my throat getting closed in, "It's no big deal anyway. I think I mentioned before… I could have killed anyone in that fucking room."

"Don't cry." Osamu tried.

"I'm not crying!" I yelled at him and I tore the sheets off my bed, throwing them at him so they covered his head. He sighed and pulled them off, tossing them back on the bed at my feet.

"Maybe you do deserve it," He huffed, looking away, "Acting like that." I glared at him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I demanded angrily. Osamu whipped around, thrusting a finger in my face.

"What's your problem? So what if they won't let you take the exams? Get that stupid look off your face! If you really wanted to become a Chuunin, you'd keep trying, no matter what anyone says! You acted strong, maybe a little bit of a sore loser during the exams, but why are you looking like that now? Pick yourself up, brat! What kind of ninja sinks to the floor so low like that?" He shouted at me. I stared at him, ignoring the fact that my eyes had slightly welled up.

What the hell…?

He was right.

What was I doing? Having a pity party? This isn't how I am… Sure, I gave up when I knew I would lose and stuff before… But maybe now that's different. Maybe I just needed to mature a little.

"Wow," I managed, "I feel stupid."

"You should!" Osamu retorted, folding his arms over his chest, wincing a little in the process and hitting his wound. I smiled slowly, then hit him in the arm.

"Shut the hell up, you dumbass! You're supposed to be all nice about it!" I snorted. Osamu rolled his eyes, smirking.

"Yea right!" He taunted.

"Che, there's something we have in common. You're a jerk." I puffed.

"Not as much as you." Osamu sang, wagging a finger at me. I twitched.

"SHUT UP!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Wow, three battles in one. ;D And of course, Ruriko gets some bad news… I wonder if you guys can find some hints to the future in these chapters. lol. Cuz I just noticed some that I didn't mean to drop in, but it just happened that way… Oh well. Anyway, thanks for reading, hope the OCs were in character, and your reviews are loved with a passion!**


	14. Chapter 14

**DUDE. I stuck four battles all in this chapter! I am so proud of myself and I think they're pretty good. Hopefully you guys feel the same! ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Shichi**

**Chi**

**Yasushi**

**A/N: BTW, this chapter is Nero's POV.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Fourteen: **Battles of Friendship! Bathing in Blood!**

The next battle was up and so far, there was me, Honoka, Kai, Ayaka, Shichi, Daisuke, Kishi, and Koyuki. And I could tell all of us were on our toes as we stared up at the screen, the digital green letters buzzing by before they halted, revealing two more names.

**Tachibana Ayaka**

**VS**

**Shichi**

I heard Ayaka make a sound of joy as she immediately got to the arena. Shichi snorted and took his time getting to the arena, flashing Ayaka a look.

"You're way too cocky. Keep it up and you're going to be ashamed when I smash your pretty face into the pavement." He told her.

"Shut up, asshole," Ayaka snapped, smirking, "You're the one who's going to be ashamed when I tear your apart." Shichi rolled his eyes in response. Asuma held his arms up, then brought them down.

"BEGIN!" Right away, Shichi moved rashly. He shot forward, whipping out kunai, which were easily blocked. Ayaka smirked and flung out her hand, hidden senbon appearing from under her palm. They burst forth and Shichi winced, ducking them, but missing the two kunai that Ayaka threw forward. The kunai shot forth and pinned Shichi to the ground by his feet.

Shichi yelled in agony and seethed curses at her. She started to make hand signs, but Shichi cut her off by tearing the kunai from his feet, throwing them at her. She caught them quickly and tossed them to the ground before whipping out a round of shuriken.

From what I can tell, they were both into fighting and didn't mind blood… And they enjoyed weapons. So far. As soon as Ayaka threw the shuriken, I knew something was wrong because they went right through Shichi. I blinked, frowning a little, then nudged Akira, who smirked.

"Genjutsu." He stated confidently, being a pretty good Genjutsu user himself. I looked back at the arena to see Ayaka looking pretty confused and pissed off about it. She growled.

"What the fuck?" She barked. Shichi smirked and his body became a blur, making Ayaka blink and rub at her eye as if she got dust in it. She stumbled back for a second, holding her head. She looked like she was going to be sick to be honest.

She was. She fell to her knees and bent over, vomiting while Shichi's laughter flitted through the air as a somewhat static version of him appeared across the arena.

"What did I tell you? In the pavement!" He taunted. Ayaka gritted her teeth, trembling slightly as she slowly got to her feet. She reached into the pockets of her black pants, whipping out several shuriken on all her fingers before she flung them out to the sides. I blinked, tilting my head for a second before I figured out why she did it.

The shuriken on her right side hit something and Shichi appeared out of the Genjutsu with Ayaka. He gasped, holding his stomach and jerked two shuriken out, looking up in time for Ayaka to swing around and run at him, kicking him in the chin and knocking him into the air. She pushed off the ground, doing a little flip before hitting both her feet into Shichi's stomach. Shichi choked and gasped, then yelped in pain when he hit the concrete.

He went to get up, but Ayaka landed back in a crouch beside him and flung her foot up into his gut again, knocking him into the air. Judging from the force behind her kicks, she was pretty pissed off. Shichi hit the ground again and Ayaka swung her foot down on his back, making him cough up some blood before he rolled over and caught her foot, dragging her to the ground and pulling himself up.

Ayaka winced, then smirked and caught one of Shichi's legs in between her own, knocking him to the floor as she scrambled to her feet, taking out a kunai. Shichi got to his feet as face as he could, but it was too late because he had no chance to duck or dodge Ayaka's next attack. He was distracted by the kunai, unbeknownst to her hand sign.

A rock shot from the ground and slammed into Shichi's face, knocking out two teeth, I noticed with a wince and holding my jaw, just imaging the pain. Within moment, Shichi hit the ground with a wet smack from the blood that he was caked in.

Even though Shichi was obviously going to pass out soon, he spat a curse at her.

"Fucking bitch! I fucking slaughter you! Just you wait! I'll kill you!" He yelled angrily, being pretty much as sore a loser as Ruriko. Ayaka smirked at him, sticking out her tongue, putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't care what the hell you say because I just beat you." She mocked as Asuma announced her as the winner. Shichi squeezed his eyes shut and spat out a last curse before going unconscious, a medical team rushing in.

I averted my eyes, cocking my head. I guess a cocky brat can win. She gained some respect from me, but I could see Akira huff.

Within moments, the computer screen had two other names up.

**Saki Kishi**

**VS**

**Yagani Daisuke**

Daisuke seemed relieved that it was finally his turn as he hopped over the railing, trying to be so cool in the process, and landing in a crouch before getting to his feet. Kishi easily made her way down, probably not interested in making a scene as she walked to meet Daisuke, who just smiled like a friend to her.

"BEGIN!" Asuma yelled and leapt back, probably learning that by now, he was going to get run over if he stood too close. I smirked at the thought.

"Hey, you're kinda cute," Daisuke exclaimed, painfully reminding me of Akira, "Is it possible if we could go for-"

"No, thanks," Kishi interrupted with an eye twitch, "Let's just get to fighting already."

"Well, jeez. You're eager to get your butt kicked." Daisuke huffed. Kishi sweat dropped, but the moment didn't last as Daisuke ran at her. Kishi only took one step back before she flung her hand out and jerking on what looked like air, but I found out later was a wire.

Daisuke blinked and yelped when his foot caught on a wire just a few feet in front of Kishi, knocking him on his stomach. He jerked his head up as Kishi was quick to make hand signs. Daisuke rolled out of the way as a blast of hot air came at him like a blade.

He quickly got to his feet and swung a kunai at Kishi's ankles, but she jumped over it and flipped over him, kicking him in the back and knocking him forward. Daisuke cursed under his breath when he skid across the concrete, cutting up his jumpsuit. He scrambled to his feet, whipping around in time to block a kunai attack, their faces close.

Daisuke smirked and he quickly leaned in, kissing Kishi right on the lips. My first thought was WHAT THE HELL? Daisuke! This is a ninja battle! Would you really go around kissing all your opponents? Kishi thought the same thing and yelped, jumping away from him as if she touched fire.

She hurriedly wiped her lips, making a 'blegh' noise. Daisuke stopped fighting to laugh at her.

"Calm down! It's not like it wasn't going to happen! I mean, come on! Our faces…! That close?" He laughed. Kishi was tomato red now in the face, clenching her fists and looking like she was going to tear him to shreds.

From my spot, I could see her teammate, Eiji, make somewhat of a face behind his hand and Kotori smirk.

But the kiss didn't distract Kishi for long and she quickly ran forward, flinging out a stream of shuriken. Daisuke ducked them and swung his foot forward, tripping Kishi onto her back. She swung her foot up quickly and hit Daisuke in the gut, knocking him up into the air.

"What a pervert." Akira muttered.

"Hypocrite!" Kazuya and I barked at the same time before sweat dropping. Akira snorted, but didn't bother arguing. He knew it was true. Akira would have kissed his opponent, regardless of who it was, if he wasn't trying to be mature… Or maybe he just figured he'd lose by getting bitch slapped all the way back to Sunagakure.

Kasumi didn't look like she would enjoy a big kiss on the face.

Back in the arena, Kishi had dodged several ninjutsu attacks. She was sweating and cut in several places, sporting a dark purple bruise on her shoulder. Daisuke ran at her with a kunai, the places where his jumpsuit was torn from his skid caked with blood. He was wincing, though, as he ran, making me wonder if he was wounded somewhere else.

He was so close to Kishi, but she stuck her foot out, kicking him right on the leg that seemed to be sore. Shockingly, Daisuke let out a sharp yelp and fell to his knees, grasping his ankle. Kishi looked pretty surprised too and looked at him as if she didn't understand.

I tried to think back. When would he hurt himself? He didn't do much fighting back in the… Forest… Wait, Botan's jutsu. The water jutsu. He'd made bubbles of water wrap around Daisuke's ankles to hold him down. Could that have been more than just a trap? Maybe the jutsu also crushed something inside his leg?

That seemed to be so when Daisuke jerked the pant leg up to reveal a bone jutting from his ankle. He stared at it as if he couldn't believe it was that bad. Kishi took a step back, staring at it in disbelief as well. Daisuke, instead of showing he was concerned, laughed a little.

"What'd ya know? Looks like I was hurt before we even started…" He looked up at Kishi with a smile.

"You're a good healing ninja… Wanna help me out?" Kishi looked at him doubtfully, frowning slightly. I thought she was just going to kick him in the face and get it over with, but she bent down and went to help, but Daisuke caught her around the waist and pulled her to the ground. Kishi yelped, wincing when her head hit the ground. I saw blood trickle from a gash on her forehead as she managed to wiggle away.

She scrambled to her feet and kicked Daisuke's hand away, glaring at him. Daisuke smirked and whipped around onto his knees before getting up, wincing slightly as his bone made a sickening squelch followed by a dull crack.

"Just kidding. Sorry if I marked you." He added, gesturing to the cut with a hand, but Kishi smacked it away angrily. Probably made that Daisuke tricked her. Daisuke smirked in response and went at her again, but this time, Kishi went at him at the same time, slamming her elbow into his chest. Daisuke winced and catch the back of her head by short brown her hair, jerking her back harshly. Kishi gasped, then swung her fist up, getting Daisuke in the jaw. They both skidded away from each other and Kishi stopped at that moment. That's when I saw it.

Her pupils grew noticeably smaller and I recognized it from Osamu and Ruriko's battle. That meant that Kishi and Osamu used the same jutsu. As expected, Daisuke was caught by surprise. I watched as it appeared that some blurry blue force shot forward, wrapping around Daisuke like a giant fist.

He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth tightly. I watched, probably as horrified as some of the others. Blood trickled gently from his ears and mouth. I watched as his ankle popped, the bone jutting out further, like someone was squeezing it right out.

Finally Daisuke couldn't take it anymore and yelled in pain. Kishi gasped a little as if the jutsu was straining her. The pressure seemed to be released, but Daisuke hit the ground like jello. He was shaking uncontrollably, blood seeping terribly from his cuts and especially his wounded ankle. He wasn't moving and it didn't look like he was going to move any time soon.

Kishi was declared the winner, but she looked like she wanted to check on Daisuke, even if he did piss her off like several times. As she walked by him being lifted onto a stretcher, he caught her elbow, making her look at him.

"Nice fight," Daisuke managed shakily, "Can't wait to try it again sometime." Kishi blinked, then seemed to smile faintly before coming back up.

"You like the kiss?" Kotori asked right away with a wide grin. Kishi sweat dropped, blushing.

"No!" She responded and looked quickly at Eiji, as if he to wonder what he thought about it, but he just looked the other way, blushing a little himself. That immediately assured me that they had something going on.

The computer dinged and I jumped, looking up. I breathed a sigh of relief.

**Souh Kai**

**VS**

**Tachibana Honoka**

I looked up, watching Kai jump from his position into the arena, Honoka following close behind. From what I could tell, Kai didn't even look like he wanted to fight. Honoka seemed more like a 'let's do this real quick, please' kinda person.

"I hope you're okay with this being quick and simple." Honoka said with a bit of a smile. Kai blinked, then shared a bit of a smile.

"Sounds good to me." He replied honestly. Honoka looked surprised that he would agree, then smiled back. Asuma came forward, sighing.

"Not good to make friends with your opponents," He sighed, then held up his arms and dropped them, "BEGIN!"

Immediately, Honoka whipped out a good earth jutsu, sending sharp stalagmites from the ground, but Kai easily hopped on them, making hand signs to create a powerful fire jutsu. This and the earth jutsu created a thick, boiling bit of lava at the center of the arena. Honoka leapt back, grimacing. Kai made quick hand signs again, but this time, it seemed more like a Genjutsu.

Feathers fluttered from the ceiling, raining down, but Honoka quickly held her hands together and the Genjutsu burst apart like watching someone throw a rock at a mirror and she bolted forward, leaping over the lava pit, making hand signs to have stalagmites shoot up and catch her feet. She went to make a hand sign, but Kai swung a kunai at her. Honoka winced and back flipped out of the way, landing on a stalagmite in the pool of lava.

Kai leapt at her, swinging his foot forward. His shoe connected with Honoka's head, knocking her flying through the air and landing on the concrete. She was holding her head, like she was shocked at the searing pain. I saw blood dribble from a wound in her forehead. She looked slightly dazed, but forced herself to her feet. Kai grimaced at the wound, but Honoka didn't stop. She started forward again, despite looking a bit pained by the movement.

Kai caught Honoka by the front of her blue shirt, jerking her up after a failed shuriken attack.

"I really don't want to hurt you…" Kai murmured. Honoka smiled a little, gripping his fist on her shirt.

"It's fine…" Was all she said before her eyes fluttered closed, her hands dropping limply to her sides. Kai winced and switched to holding her in his arms instead of so brutally. He made a hand sign, using a wind jutsu to harden the lava pit, turning the floor into a somewhat rocky surface.

A medical team raced in, Kai gently lying her in a stretcher before rejoining his team. He didn't look super proud of his win, like he rather of forfeited. I sighed, shaking my head and leaning on my elbow on the railing.

Some of these Genin actually made friends with their opponents! Ridiculous, or didn't they realize that they were beating up a friend? I was pretty annoyed, but it faded when I realized who the last opponents were.

**Uchiha Koyuki**

**VS**

**Nero**

I looked across the room at Koyuki, who grimaced.

This was totally unfair! Koyuki was my friend! It was like someone really hated me out there and purposely put me with her. I sighed and jumped over the railing, realizing a little too late that I just pulled a Daisuke move.

I shook my head and put my hands in my pockets, walking across the arena as Koyuki approached me.

"Well, this sucks." She smiled. I nodded, snorting.

"Shit it does… You're one of the few people in this world that I really trust… But I'm sorry. I'm going to kick your ass." I replied honestly. Koyuki beamed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Nero." She answered and it made my face feel kind of hot when she did that. I looked at my feet away from her. Asuma came forward.

"BEGIN!" He announced. I jerked my head up as Koyuki unsheathed her sword, its black blade glittering in the lights. She slashed it at me, but I already had my maul out to block it. Koyuki pushed back, skidding across the ground to study me for a split second. She grimaced and that's when I noticed her eyes glowed red, black pupil with three black commas.

Great. Just what I needed. Sharingan. The one thing I really rather not deal with in a battle.

She whipped out some hand signs, using a fire ball jutsu. I immediately zipped out of the way, practically teleporting. I was fast, yea, but that's me being modest. Koyuki kinda smiled, probably expecting this before she whipped around and ran at me, sword drawn.

Her sword clanged against my maul. I pushed back, jumping up with one hand in my pocket, the other holding my maul. No, my hand wasn't in my pocket because I was trying to be cool. I just didn't have a use for it at the moment.

I swung my maul back down, watching it crash into the ground instead of Koyuki, who leapt back out of the way, but just barely. Rubble flew up with dust, blocking my view of her, but she burst through it and swung her sword at me. I winced and pulled my head back, only coming out with a gash across my face.

"You're fast," Koyuki commented, studying me, "And it looks like your Taijutsu is a bit fast for my Sharingan… I'll acknowledge your strength."

"Uh, thanks… I think." I muttered. Koyuki smiled, then ran at me again, swinging her sword at me. I kept jerking back, avoiding them before I tore my foot up, kicking her hard in the gut and watching her skid back, clutching her stomach with a grimace.

I felt like I wanted to stop. I didn't want to fight Koyuki. She was my friend. The thought made me twitch. I looked at her and she looked back at me, but she was frowning now.

"Don't hold back on me, Nero… If you were my friend, you'd fight me with everything you've got. Don't be a coward." She stated, standing up straight and holding her sword out at me. I stared at her, then smiled a little.

"You have no idea what you're asking…" I said.

"Bring it on." Koyuki challenged. I made hand signs as fast as I could manage, Koyuki mimicking my every move. We finished our at the same time, a fireball jutsu that practically melted the floor. Koyuki jumped to the left, though I would have rather her jumped to the right.

I swung my maul down in the ground and made a hand sign with my free hand now, sending as many volts of electricity as possible through the crack that spread out toward her. Koyuki winced and leapt into the air, a move I didn't really plan for, so I randomly made another hand sign, letting of my maul for a split second. As soon as I did, though, Koyuki was on me, kicking me right in the face.

I flew back, slamming into a wall and denting it in. Pain electrified my body, making me spasm for a split second before I stumbled forward. Koyuki slashed her sword at me as the dust faded, the blade cutting me across my bare chest and also slicing into my cloak.

Wait. My cloak.

I took a hold of my black cloak, tearing it off and flinging it forward. Koyuki yelped a little, as if to demand why the hell I just did that. She jerked it off her, throwing it to the side and giving me the chance to bring my foot up and kick her sword out of her hands and into the air. She went to grab it, trying to kick me in the face again, but I caught her foot and jerked her off her feet. She cried out in surprise.

I held her by her foot and pushed off the ground, catching her around the waist now and pulling her down with me as we both slammed into the ground. I managed to scramble away from her as she groaned, getting to her feet and wiping blood from her face and arm. I noticed her wrist was bent at a weird angle, probably meaning I broke it. I frowned for a second, and in that second, she was on me.

She tackled me to the ground, making me yelp in surprise. She swung her elbow into my nose, causing it to bleed before she elbowed me in the side of the head. She was moving faster than before, so I had to hurry and guess her next move. I caught her red eyes with mine, staring at her and managing to block a few hits before I managed a hand sign, grabbing her biceps and squeezing.

She yelled in pain as electricity scorched her skin and clothes and she leapt away from me, but not before kicking me in the chest, making me skid along my bare back on the rugged, concrete floor. I hissed in pain, but flipped back onto my feet to block some punches that she threw at me before trying another fire jutsu, which I just matched with one of my own, causing flames to shriek and lick up at the ceiling before dying down.

She bolted at me again, this time scooping up her sword in the process. I decided to run at her too, but I scooped up my cloak instead, slipping it on. This made her smirk a little before she swung her sword at me. I ducked this time, crouching low before swinging my fist up into her jaw, knocking her high into the air. She winced a little and I shot up after her to grab her and go for another slam into the pavement together, but this time, she grabbed me!

She caught the front of my cloak and jerked me over her head, pulling me behind her so I was heading head first downwards and she ended up grabbing onto me, flipping back in the same position, bringing us down together.

We went head first into the pavement, causing another huge, deadly dent in the ground. This time, we both scrambled out with gashes in our heads, a bruise near our eyes. I went for my maul this time, ducking quickly when Koyuki raced up behind me, slashing at the back of my head. I took the handle of my maul and swung it back.

I heard a sickening series of crunches and I immediately regretted that move, whipping around and letting go of my maul to see Koyuki crumble to her knees. She was panting harshly, her legs having become crushed. I could see bone and chunks of flesh as well as a thick pool of blood under her. I felt rising panic in my throat.

"Koyuki-"

"Not done yet." She managed with a sly smirk and reached out, jerking me off my feet and throwing me across the arena. I gasped in pain, slamming face first into a wall. I managed to peel myself off, blood bubbling from the right side of my face as I stumbled to an upright position. I turned to Koyuki, who was still on her knees, unable to stand at all. She turned to me.

"Do me a favor, attack me so I can beat you. My legs are kind of useless!" She called casually, but I could see her face getting a little pale and sweat running down her face from exhaustion.

"Koyuki-" I started.

"Don't you back out on me now! I'm not finished!" Koyuki interrupted, her eyes sharp and determined. I grimaced, but complied and ran at her again. She swung her sword out at me, but not before she made a hand sign. Suddenly, her sword caught on fire, the flames shooting forward.

I felt the heat immediately and I bit back a scream, scrambling backwards and falling on my ass, probably making a fool of myself. I grasped my chest, feeling it still hot and my skin was definitely melted because when I pulled my hand back, the blood was gooey like chocolate that you left in the sun too long.

I looked at Koyuki with wide eyes, as if to say WHAT THE HELL? She laughed.

"Oh, yea. And there's that part." She added with a smirk, then swung her flaming sword at me again. This time I darted out of the way, scooping my maul up and swinging it around. Koyuki dodged while at the same time, making a slash with her sword. I moved back, but she yelled out a jutsu.

"Fire Style! Blazing Dragon!" In that instant, the flames shrieked and grew purple in the shape of a dragon, bursting out at my feet. I winced and jumped up, tearing off my shoes right away as I landed on my back, rolling over to my knees. I threw my melted shoes away, whipping around.

"What the hell?" I managed, breathing hard.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you! You're my friend and I know you can do better!" Koyuki replied with a smirk, the dragon being sucked back into her sword. She swung her palm out, a bolt of lightening shooting out at me. I winced and held up my fingers, making a hand sign with my free hand. My fingertips sparked with electricity and I caught the bolt before it hit me in the face. I spread my fingers, pulling the bolt in with my lightening jutsu and I shot it back at her. She winced and ducked it, hitting the ground on her stomach and yelping when her crushed legs scraped against the ground.

I brought my maul around. If she's that good with ninjutsu, I'm sorry, but the next move was necessary. The heavy, spiked metal ball crashed into Koyuki's outstretched hand and she cursed, but not at me, at the pain in her hand.

She lay there for a second, practically swimming in a puddle of blood, looking pretty pale and worn out. She smirked past the blood that dripped from her mouth.

"Wow," She managed, "This was a pretty fun battle, Nero…" She made a hand sign with her free hand, probably a last attempt to get me down, as she sent a fire jutsu at me, which I managed to dodge, having thrown my cloak off, which had caught on fire. I stood up, but just barely as I panted, watching Koyuki drop her free hand to look at me across the bloody, torn up ground.

"Nero has won the battle!" Asuma announced. Koyuki sighed. I walked up to her.

"That was good… I think I respect you now." I replied. Koyuki's eye twitched.

"You telling me you didn't respect me before?" She demanded. I smiled.

"I was joking. I've respected you the first time I met you, Uchiha Koyuki… And you're one of my best friends. Probably not as high an honor as becoming a Chuunin… But I thought I'd let you know." I replied. Koyuki smirked.

"Knowing you, it probably is a high honor." She answered, coughing a little afterwards. I smiled a little more and bent down.

"What're you doing?" She demanded.

"What's it look like? I'm going to do you the honor of carrying you to the hospital." I retorted, lifting her up. Koyuki rolled her eyes, but she smirked anyway.

"You're not such a bad friend yourself… But careful. You're looking pretty bad yourself." She pointed out. I snorted.

"Che, I've had worse. Trust me… I'll tell you the story sometime." My mouth said, my mind barely catching up. She'd be the first one, other than Ruriko and her family to know what had happened…

That made me smile.

I looked up at Kazuya and Akira, smirking.

"Do me a favor, get the information for my next battle. I'm taking her to the hospital myself." I called up to them, then walked out the front doors, feeling pretty accomplished.

Koyuki actually taught me some things in this battle that I was sure to remember for the rest of my dull life.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Wow, I should be sued for coming up with terrible chapter names… :D! Anyway, I'm pretty content with how this is turning out. I'm nearing the end of this beginning, ready for the Shippuden chapter. The Shippuden, for those who wish to know, is three years forward. It's matching up with the original Naruto series, except… Let's just say I'm fan tweaking it. :'D Yes, there is a Shippuden. Yes, there is going to be an after series. Which means after the Shippuden, our characters will be all grown up adults with husbands (maybe) and children (maybe)! So be thinking if you want to be in that part of the series, but don't worry. C: You have time to think about it! A lot of time. Lol. So, thanks so very much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are just plain freaking awesome!**


	15. Chapter 15

**WOO! I kinda liked this chapter! It made my heart swell~ lol.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Shichi**

**Chi**

**Yasushi**

**A/N: Beginning is Ruriko's POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Fifteen: **I Can TO Make Friends! Memory Whiplashes!**

I was out of the hospital at long, freaking last! It was nice to inhale the scent of the parties that were being thrown for the final round of the exams that were just around the corner. My arm was still in a sling, but it felt a lot better now. Lucky jackass Osamu got out before I did because by some miracle, he recovered faster than I did. He lost his stitches, but he did have some bandages on.

It was mostly the same for me, save for my arm. I walked down the street toward the training grounds, just so I could watch some of the guys train.

… Not that I like any of them or anything! Don't even think for a second! They were all the same!

I huffed, but the smell of ramen just caught my attention. I whipped around as fast as I could and bolted to the ramen shop, immediately plopping down in a seat and beaming at the owner, Teuchi.

"The usual!" I announced, making him chuckle and get to work. I reached into my pocket, getting out the money that I so totally borrowed from Nero, not stole. I glanced up as another guy came to sit at the shop. He had bangs framing his tanned face, his black hair cut short in the back. His green eyes were almond shaped and he wore a headband on his forehead, telling me that he was a ninja. He also wore a black sleeveless jacket with a green hood and green fingerless gloves, matching black pants with green pockets as well bandages on his right arm. An odd scar went through his right eye, his right eyebrow pierced with a ring style earring. Wasn't bad looking.

Not that I was staring or anything.

I looked back to find my ramen in front of me, but when I picked up my chopsticks, they fell right out and I realized that I was right handed, not left handed.

"Fuck!" I cursed.

"Do you always swear like that in public?" The guy asked me. I looked up at him, huffing.

"I'm pissed off. Who're you to ask?" I demanded.

"You don't have any manners, do you? It's standard- Oh, to hell with it. Name's Katsu Kin." He sighed. I paused for a second, then shrugged.

"Tsukuyomi Ruriko." I replied. Kin stared at me for a second, then blinked.

"Tsukuyomi? So you're the infamous 'I can kick all your asses after I eat my opponent' girl." He mused. I sweat dropped.

"You heard about that?" I asked, feeling my stomach knot. Kin smirked.

"Whole village heard about that. Looking at your bowl of ramen there, you're always hungry, aren't you?" He asked.

"Stop guessing! … And so what if I am?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Kin shrugged, thanking Teuchi for his ramen, before breaking his chopsticks apart, glancing at me.

"No reason. Actually, when I heard about you, I thought you'd be one of those people like Uchiha Sasuke or Hyuuga Neji." He replied honestly, taking a bite of his food. I sweat dropped.

"How do they act?"

"Show offs."

"Ah…" My voice trailed. Yea, I should have been paying more attention to the conversation, but my mind was on food now. Man, this sucked! Watching him eat was making my stomach growl and I couldn't use chopsticks being left handed. I looked back at my food.

"You're right handed." Kin stated, pointing at my sore arm. I sighed.

"Unfortunately." I muttered. Kin paused, then picked up his bowl.

"Eat like this." He held the bowl to his lips, sipping noodles and juice. I felt stupid there for a second, then quickly scooped up the bowl. I gulped almost the whole bowl in that single movement, content as I smiled.

"Hey, thanks… You doin' anything right now?" I asked. Kin finished his ramen, shrugging.

"Nothing important." He replied."

"Wanna come with me to find my moronic teammates?"

"Sure, why not?" We both got up, leaving money behind as we strolled through town to the training field.

"So, how tall are you anyway?" I asked, averting my eyes when I noticed that he was taller than me by far.

"Almost five seven." He answered casually, as if it were nothing. I twitched.

"You're kidding me!" I cried. He smirked.

"You're just saying that because you're like, what? Five foot?"

"Five foot one and a half!" I protested. Kin laughed quietly.

"Because a half makes a whole lot of difference."

"Ya damn right it does." I retorted, then looked up to see most of the finalist for the exams in the training grounds. Akira was arguing with Nero, though.

"You're pretty hypocritical, ya know that!" He was yelling, pointing a finger at Nero, who smacked his hand away.

"Shut up, asshole. It was just a suggestion!"

"Yea, right! I bet you have the hots for Koyuki, that's why you let her win!"

"I said shut up, Akira!" Nero snapped, grabbing the front of his sweatshirt. I sweat dropped.

"Excuse me for a second," I said, giving Kin a quick innocent smile, before stomping forward and slamming my teammates' heads together as best I could with one arm, "SHUT THE HELL UP, MORONS! You're supposed to be training, not arguing!"

"Ow!" Both guys held their foreheads tightly, wincing. Kin raised an eyebrow.

"I guess that's one way to do it." He murmured thoughtfully. I smirked a little. Nero rolled his eyes.

"Whatever… Who're you anyway? It's not every day Ruriko makes a friend." He added.

"Katsu Kin. Pleasure." Kin stated flatly.

"Nero. This is Tsukuyomi Akira, Ruriko's stupid brother." Nero replied.

"Shut up," Akira muttered and glanced at Kin, "Heyyy, you're good looking. It's about time Ruriko found a good looking friend. I mean, she's got Nero…"

"I'm going to kill him." Nero stated, but I grabbed his arm, glaring at him and my brother.

"What the freaking hell is your guys' problem? And bullshit! I can make good friends." I retorted. Kin seemed thoughtful, but said nothing. Akira and Nero shared doubtful looks, making me scowl, jerking away from Nero's arm.

"Oh, whatever. You guys are just assheads." I snapped.

"Well, that's a perfect picture insult." Kin stated, nodding as if he was pondering it. I blushed a little, wondering why the hell I came up with something like that. Nero smirked and Akira huffed.

"She spews shit. She doesn't know half the swear words she says." Akira replied, waving a hand.

"Shut up, Akira! You're so full of crap, it's gushing out your ears." I blurted.

"What did I tell you?" Akira asked, shrugging with a smirk. Gods, he was embarrassing me. Kin and Nero looked like they were both trying not to laugh at how stupid I was acting and how smart Akira was trying to be. For crying out loud! I'm a cripple, cut me some slack, people!

**Nero's POV**

I walked down the hospital hallway after meeting Ruriko and her friend, Kin. He was pretty interesting, definitely not one of those obnoxious loud mouths, thank the gods. Akira seemed to like his company too, but I noticed he was trying to show off. What a moron.

I peeked into Koyuki's room, watching her flip through a book while taking occasional sips of her soup before she looked up, seeing me.

"Nero! About time. You're late." She huffed, but smiled anyway. I stepped in, smiling.

"Afternoon. How're your legs?" I asked, shifting my eyes down to her bandaged up legs. From the looks of them, they looked way better than before. They're crushed up shapes were put back together, like Humpty Dumpty, looking as normal as ever under the white bandages around them.

"A lot better," Koyuki sighed with relief, "Kai and Kasumi stopped by with candy, thank gods. The hospital food here is terrible. You training hard? I don't want to show up at the final rounds and see that you lose." I laughed a little, but I was having trouble telling her who I was supposed to fight and it made me cringe.

I had to fight Mai first and if I beat her, I had to fight Kai. I was the lucky duck that had to fight two, if I won my first that is, but I had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to happen. I had seen what Mai did to Eiji and it made me shiver.

"Is something wrong?" Koyuki asked curiously, tilting her head. I averted my eyes. This was it. Time to fess up or lie…

"I have to fight Mai and Kai, if I beat Mai that is… But…" My voice trailed. Koyuki crinkled her nose, as if the thought of the two battles unnerved her.

"Mai? She's the one that tormented Eiji, right?" She asked. I nodded. Koyuki grimaced and looked away, out the window for a second, before looking back at me.

"Good luck… If what you told me is true, about everything that happened… Well… Let's just hope she won't get inside your head and make you go crazy. I saw Eiji in the hospital earlier to visit Osamu. He looked a little uncomfortable." She replied. I nodded, looking at my feet.

"Definitely…"

"Nero?"

"Hm?" I looked up to find Koyuki giving me a hard stare.

"You promise me that you'll fight to the best of your ability and won't give up easily, got it?" She demanded. I stared at her for a while. A tall order, I thought, but this was Koyuki asking. Good friend, good opponent, the only person other than the Tsukuyomi Clan that knew my secrets. I smirked.

"Make that a bet." I stated. Koyuki grinned.

"1,000 ryo sound good?"

"Hell yea." I agreed, making her laugh. I stayed for a while longer, sharing secrets and talking tips for the upcoming battles. I mentioned that I'd reserve her and her team seats at the final rounds stadium in a good place where she could see me kick ass. Eventually I had to go since Koyuki was due for a check up with the Hokage.

I walked out, heading down the hallway with my hands in my pockets. I was pretty content now, feeling slightly more confident as I headed around a corner. I bumped into someone, my eyes flicking up for a second.

Stupid me.

Mai stepped away from me, staring at me. I felt like I touched fire and all the regret and doubt that I had felt before hit me heavily. For a second, her eyes were the same cold blue before they appeared bright red to me.

Immediately, I felt the hot lashes on my back and face, my body blazing with pain. I gasped, clasping a hand over my throat when I felt a familiar, squeezing hand grip it tightly.

This happened within seconds before it vanished, just like that. I swayed dizzily and caught myself on the wall, breathing hard before I looked at Mai, who frowned a little at me, her eyes their normal icy blue.

"No wonder," She murmured, "You should back out or I'll drive you insane." With that, she pushed past me and continued on. I was still trembling, leaning on the wall for support as I reached up carefully to touch my face. I felt warm, sticky blood from the lashes and my legs gave out from under me.

I could feel something welling in my chest toward my throat, whether a scream or a sob, I couldn't tell, but I had to hold it down until I knew Mai was out of hearing range. My body was shaking even more and my chest grew tight. I squeezing my eyes shut after watching my vision slowly blur with tears.

"_Don't worry, Nero… He won't find you again, I promise. Not even Karen can stop me…"_ The familiar warm, comforting voice was barely there through the haze of pain, but even that didn't help me.

I leaned forward, hugging myself tightly and gritting my teeth. Can't cry. Can't cry. If I do, she'll get mad at me too… It made me want to laugh bitterly. She acted just like him, all the time. She got mad when I compared them, but it was true. Even her husband knew it…

"_Little brat! Don't ever compare me to that fucking monster or I'll rip your tongue out!"_ Her voice made me shudder and want to melt into a puddle on the floor. I opened my eyes to find that the tear already hit the tiled floor.

Crap… She's going to start hitting me now…

"Nero, are you all right?" A familiar voice asked. I jerked my head up, sitting upright quickly to see Kotori looking at me curiously. She blinked, noticing my tears before I quickly wiped at my face.

"What happened? You looked like someone took a switch to your face." She murmured, helping me up. I shrugged a little, grimacing.

"No, just… Wounds from training…" I mumbled. Kotori raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but she decided against asking any more questions. Thank the gods. That saved me the trouble of explaining.

"If you say so… It's sad when good lookin' kids like you get hurt!" She declared with a smile. Probably trying to cheer me up. I smiled in return, ignoring how the Glasgow cut in the corner of my mouth stung. I paused for a second, blinking when I remembered what I wanted to ask her during the preliminaries.

"Ah, Kotori-sensei, it's probably none of my business… But… Is Eiji okay?" I asked. Kotori blinked, then smiled.

"It's fine. Thanks for your concern… But honestly, I haven't seen Eiji since he visited Osamu after the preliminaries. He's doing that thing again where he vanishes mysteriously for a bit and comes back, looking fine and dandy." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hm? You mean he just ditches everyone? Does he go home?" I asked, unnerved at the thought. Kotori smiled.

"Don't think so. I just think he needs some alone time… He probably trains and stuff, but it'd be nice if he hung around his teammates more. I think you know more than anyone, though, what he thinks about." She added quietly. I nodded slowly, averting my eyes.

"Guess so."

"Hey," She said, snapping her fingers and making me look up at her, "Don't give up! I'll be rooting for you in your battle against Mai and that kid, Kai. Good luck!" She leaned in and gave me a small kiss, just a peck, on the forehead before patting me and walking on.

I smiled to myself, looking down at my feet as I held onto my sore arm. Eiji was lucky to have a good sensei like her. It made me kind of jealous… Yea, I knew Kazuya cared, but he didn't treat me so well as a 'family friend'

And it wasn't just because I had a crush on his sister…

But it was fine. I was used to people treating me like crap. The whacks I took from my teammates and sensei were nothing, but small jabs in my ribs compared to what I had dealt with before. I could handle it just fine…

So why I was falling on my knees again…?

Goddamn it… I really needed a smoke…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I'm actually content with how this turned out. Rather short, but no worries. Long ones later. I just had to post one last chapter before I went to bed so I could dream up the next couple chapters. ;D omg… I felt sad when I wrote Nero's pig. TwT; I was listening to Sadness and Sorrow again for that bit and I was just like… EH! xD You'll learn more about him in future chapters, so sorry if his past confuses you. He just likes to take his time, be all cool and mysterious-like in hiding it. lol. Anyway, thanks uber lots for reading, hopefully the OCs are in character, and your reviews are just as loved as ever!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I had to rewrite this three times because I was getting tired and frustrated… Sorry if it's not your idea of spiffy. D':**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Miyuki**

**Botan**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Sixteen: **To Trust or Not to Trust? Time to Get Serious!**

June 24th was a nice warm, summer day with the final round of the Chuunin Exams coming the next day. A festival was in full swing, vendors selling sweets and whatnot to children, families, and shinobi alike. A pretty damn good day.

Up until one point.

I was heading down the street, my arm still bandaged, but out of the sleeve, thank the gods. I was planning on meeting up with Kin and Osamu for some dinner at Ichiraku, but I was jerked by my sore arm into an alleyway. Yea, cliché, right? That's why I thought as I shoved into a wall. I started to yell, then found myself staring up at Daiki, who was smirking.

"Look at you, little niece. You've seemed to have gotten quite a few wounds." He mused, scanning me over. I glared, jerking my arm away from him, wincing a little.

"Shut up! Cut to the chase already." I muttered. Daiki shrugged.

"Fine. I was going to make small talk, but if you're so eager… Looks like the exams are coming to close, hm?" He asked. I scowled.

"That's not the point."

"Nero and Akira. You promised to give them to me once the exams were over." He stated, looking at me seriously. I paused, giving him a sort of 'uh huh, whatever' look before I slowly smiled.

"Of course, I did. I'm a girl of my words. But I meant after the entire exams are finished, not juts the preliminaries. You're going to have to wait for Nero and Akira to be beaten up before you get them." I explained. Daiki smirked.

"Smart girl… But so cruel. You'd really give up your teammates for information?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I gotta do what I gotta do." I answered casually, looking back into the street to see a family of five run by, the children laughing. I frowned. Daiki glanced in their direction before looking back at me with a smug grin.

"Family sounds good right now, doesn't it?"

"Fuck off. I don't need a bunch of worrisome people telling me what to do," I retorted, shoving him away so I headed to the end of the alley before pausing, "I'm my own family. I don't need other people to make me feel special."

"Well said." Daiki said quietly before I left the alley. I frowned to myself, heading back down the street. It was a random meeting that I honestly didn't expect until later on… I sighed, putting my hands in the pockets of my vest as I walked down the street, approaching Ichiraku to find Kin and Osamu already eating. I huffed, taking a seat between them.

"Thanks a lot for waiting, guys!" I retorted. Osamu slurped up his noodles in my face, flicking juice in it and making me twitch angrily before ordering as well as giving him a smack upside the head. I rolled my eyes, then beamed at my noodles, slurping them up while mumbling past them how both the boys were doing.

"Exhausted." Kin deadpanned.

"Bored." Osamu puffed. I smirked, then dropped my chopsticks in an empty bowl.

"It's a festival. Don't you guys have, like, girlfriends or something to fool around with?" I asked, glancing at both of them, but they both looked in opposite directions. I sighed, shaking my head.

"What about you? Don't you have a boyfriend?" Kin asked, raising an eyebrow. I felt my face grow hot and looked back at my ramen dejectedly.

"Haha, knew it." Osamu laughed. I wanted to smack him, but I got a surprise hug from behind, making me spew my ramen across the counter. This time, Nero came up behind me with a somewhat sad sort of smile, like he was lonely.

"I can fix that problem~" He sang. I twitched and threw his arms off me, huffing.

"To hell you can! Get off me, you pervert!" I retorted. Nero sighed, but kept that same smile on his face, which had me slightly concerned, but before I could ask anything, Osamu spoke first.

"I didn't know you liked guys." Osamu stated with a wide grin. Nero went pink and I felt my face grow hotter than before.

"What did you just say, you jackass?" I yelled and leapt from my seat. Osamu laughed and was already taking off as I bolted after him, hearing both Kin and Nero sigh behind me.

That jackass was dead.

**EXAM TIME!**

The day finally came. I let Kazuya lead the way to find some seats while Akira and Nero went down into the stadium. It still pissed me off that I wasn't down there, kicking ass too, but Osamu was right.

I could become Chuunin anyway I wanted. I didn't have to pass these stupid exams. Kazuya took a seat by Kotori, who seemed to be sitting with that Eiji guy. On my other side, I found myself sitting with Koyuki and Kasumi. The crowd was a buzz with excitement, people making bets left and right. Even Kazuya joined in the bets, the moron. I hope he knew that we were running out of money…

Oh well, he'll find out sooner or later.

"I wish Hioshi was here," I muttered, huffing in my seat as I peered over the railing at the gathering finalists, "Then he'd get to see Akira kick ass. Nero too." Kazuya sighed. Kotori blinked, as if recognizing the name.

"Hioshi? He's still alive?" She asked. I sweat dropped. How did she know Hioshi? Kazuya laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Ah, yea. He's a Special Jounin in our village now… But he's locked himself in our house. He's agoraphobic." He explained. Kotori huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Don't feel the slightest about of pity for that brat. I can't believe he bit me like that." She snorted.

"I think it's called battle for a reason." Kazuya tried, but Kotori just harrumphed, making him sigh. Well, from what I could tell, Kotori and Hioshi was definitely not on good terms if Hioshi bit her. He only attacked those that really aggravated him. I smirked at the thought of them fighting now that they were older.

Hioshi would so lose.

Yea, I'm not backing up my brother on this one. He probably used to be, you know, stronger back then and faster, I guess, but now he didn't even get up to get his own glass of water, let alone defend himself in a battle!

"So you kicked my brother's butt?" I asked Kotori, who smirked.

"Course I did. Taught him a lesson. He was unconscious after the battle."

"We're going to get along."

"Ruriko!" Kazuya scolded, giving my ear a little tug. Kotori snickered, earning a frustrated sigh from Kazuya. The mood wasn't as depressing as I thought it would be, sitting in the stands. I was kind of eager to watch the fights go on. I was sort of pissed, much like Osamu, that I had missed everyone else fighting in the preliminaries. I peered back over the railing, just as the final round proctor turned to the audience as well as the Hokage.

She was just like the rumors said. A busty blonde with a bitchy attitude. Why she ever became Hokage was beyond me, seriously.

"Welcome the Final Rounds of this year's second Chuunin Exam," The proctor, Shiranui Genma, announced, "We have nine finalists with us today. There are no rules for this portion of the exams! The first battle…! Saki Osamu and Matsuki Sora!" I watched as the others retreated to a little balcony sort of entrance in the second floor of the stadium.

"What're your thoughts on this?" Kazuya asked me suddenly, making me jump. I glared at him.

"What's that supposed to mean? I hope Osamu gets his ass kicked for making fun of me!" I huffed, making Kazuya sigh in exasperation. Even as I said it, I still didn't quite know who I was rooting for. I was very thankful of Sora for helping Akira back during the second round of the exams. I respected her a lot for it. As for Osamu… We've rivaled each other ever since we met. He beat me during the exams. He pissed me off so badly that I'm no longer eligible to take the exams anymore.

And he gave me a slight little spark of hope that I may be able to become Chuunin despite that.

I folded my arms over my chest and watched as Genma relayed some information to them. It was hard to hear unless you bent over the railing a little. I annoyed Kazuya by doing this, but I did it anyway. I could see the smug smirk on Osamu's face, his fists clenching and unclenching eagerly. Sora looked pretty excited too, definitely on her toes.

"BEGIN!" Genma declared, arousing shrieks and cheers from the crowd. Right away, Osamu whipped out a series of hand signs. Sora leapt back, doing the same. In an instant, two huge tornados of hot, screaming flames clashed, shooting up out of the stadium. I winced at the sheer heat of it.

Sora looked like she was ready to burst into flames herself, using her interesting bloodline, but Osamu was faster and flung a stream of shuriken at her. Sora tore out a kunai, knocking them back. Osamu made more hand signs. This time, Sora didn't bother to move as the wall of flames swallowed her up. I waited, leaning on the railing eagerly.

As expected, Sora became a moving ball of fire as she bolted forward. Osamu smirked and that's when something familiar happened. A huge gust of chakra seemed to swirl outwards from Osamu's side, blasting at Sora, who winced and hit the ground to roll. Her fire went out, much to her surprise. The blast of chakra seemed to hold Sora down like a butterfly trapped in a kid's fist.

"You need air to have fire," Osamu stated aloud, smirking, "Nice try, though." Sora gritted her teeth and she managed to grab her kunai, flinging it at Osamu, who jumped out of the way, releasing the cup of chakra. Sora immediately lit back up again with fire and went to tackle Osamu, but he jumped out of the way, only catching the edge of his jacket on fire. He winced and smacked his hand at it, making it go out, but completely missing the shuriken that were blazing toward him. He winced and ducked one, but two got him in the arm, one slicing his cheek open. He whipped around, swinging his good arm around to fling a kunai, jumping back.

Sora easily knocked it back, running at him. Osamu smirked again, but it didn't last because as soon as he released that nifty trait of his, Sora leapt back several steps to avoid it before landing on the side of the stadium wall, pushing off with all her force. Osamu winced and went to grab some shuriken, but was kicked in the face. He flew back into the ground, knocking up rubble and dust.

Sora landed on her feet in a crouch, before bolting after Osamu again, two kunai in her hands. She slashed at Osamu, who ducked, but slammed into the wall behind him. Sora kept making sharp stabs at him, but he ducked each and every one before pushing up off the ground to stick to the wall by his shoes, swinging his fist forward.

He punched Sora in the nose, making her skid back across the ground, holding her bloody nose. Osamu pushed off the wall and slammed right into her, knocking them both to the ground. I winced to myself. That'd hurt.

Osamu rolled across the ground, struggling to get to his hands and knees. Sora was doing the same, getting to her feet first. I was wondering why Osamu was shaking at first, then I realized why. I saw the front of his jacket growing red with blood and then it hit me.

His wound wasn't completely healed from our battle before! Shit, that put him at a big disadvantage. Sora caught it and immediately swung her foot up, kicking Osamu in the stomach, making him gasp out loud, blood splattering on the ground. I flinched.

"What the hell, Osamu?" I couldn't tell if he could hear me, but I knew some of the spectators did. Osamu grimaced. Sora went to grab him by the back of his jacket, but an unseen force caught her like a fist and threw her backwards, crashing into a wall and knocking rocks and dust around. Osamu managed to get to his feet, wobbling a little before he whipped around quickly, making hand signs.

Fire burst forward, slamming into Sora. I frowned a little. Didn't he learn that she was already fire resistant? I waited to see what was happening before the flames cleared to reveal Sora still clasped tightly in the fist of chakra, gasping for air. She was mostly sucking in smoke, making her cough and gasp.

I looked at Osamu, who coughed up a little smoke up at first too, breathing hard before he ran at Sora, releasing her from the jutsu. Sora stumbled a little, grasping at her chest and for air, but she was kicked in the stomach, probably knocking all that smoke out her lungs as she skidded back. Osamu went to kick her again, but his foot was grabbed and thrust upwards. Osamu fell backwards, yelping before Sora kicked him in the back, throwing him backwards. Osamu skidded and rolled across the ground, his arm over his gut before he scrambled back to his feet. Sora blinked, then frowned and she lit up again, but I could tell she was getting pretty tired. She was bruised and cut up, almost as bad as Osamu.

"Did Osamu even plan his battle?" I heard Kazuya ask Kotori, who shrugged, huffing.

"I told him to get his butt to training and I've seen him. He was doing good… He's probably got something going on up there." She replied.

"Well, he better hurry it up!" I retorted, then looked down to see Osamu and Sora clashing again, the sound of their kunai and shuriken clanging and echoing. I frowned, watching. There was a lot of fire going already and I hoped they would put it out before the whole stadium burnt down.

I heard a loud explosion that shook the whole place and it brought me back. Osamu and Sora were both blown backwards. There was pretty much silence for that split second and I felt weird. Maybe worried? I don't know, but it was eerie that the only sound was the crackling of the flames in the arena. Genma glanced at both parties, probably assuming what we all were assuming.

Sora was sprawled limply on the ground, her long scarlet hair hiding her face and some cuts in her clothes. Osamu was pretty much in the same position, but more on his stomach, his hand dug into the ground. I saw him twitch and I was standing up.

"Ruriko, sit down!" Kazuya ordered, tugging on the back of my vest, but I smacked his hand away and looked back down into the arena eagerly. I was literally on my toes, staring into the arena. Osamu was moving, slowly lifting himself up on his hands and knees. He was struggling, kind of swaying and coughing up a little bit of smoke. The front of his jacket was dripping wet with blood.

I sighed a little, then looked at Sora, seeing her body twitch slightly. Eventually, she pulled herself to her feet, blood dripping from her mouth as she used the last of her strength to weave one last ninjutsu.

Fire blasted forward. Osamu looked up, wincing and stumbled out of the way, falling on his ass. The fire managed to catch his jacket again, this time his entire left arm. He yelped and the adrenaline rush caused him to hurriedly tear his jacket off, throwing it across the arena. He panted, glancing at Sora, who slid to her knees, breathing hard as well.

And that was the end of it. Sora collapsed on her side, exhausted. Genma smiled a little and nodded, holding up a hand.

"Winner… Saki Osamu!" He announced, causing a wave of cheers to erupt like a thunderstorm in the arena. I heard Osamu groan and fall on his back. That was the end of that. Another battle that's enough to wipe him out. I smirked. I'd have to make a note and visit him in the hospital before we headed back to Sunagakure.

"He won," Koyuki whistled from beside me, "He's pretty tough."

"Sora did good too," Kasumi put in with a nod, "I'm surprised that last that long without passing out."

"I'm proud of him." Kotori stated with a confident nod. Kazuya smiled, tilting his head at her.

"I would be too. Osamu's a strong boy. I'm impressed." He replied. I huffed, turning my back on the arena, folding my arms over my chest.

"Yea, he was okay. That was an okay battle." I got unconvinced stares, then rolled my eyes. In the process, my eyes caught a familiar trio sitting in the last row of seats up above. I stared at Daiki, who stared back with a smirk. Miyuki was being as silent as usual, headband hiding her eyes. Botan was squirming in his seat uncomfortable, obviously complaining about something. I grimaced and whipped back around.

Yea, I promised to give up my teammates in exchange for the information I got from Daiki… But I just hoped that Daiki was patient enough to wait until we were heading back to Sunagakure to avoid making a scene.

I lowered my eyes to the arena, where Genma was looking at the balcony. I guess the other match had already been chosen. I watched as Ryuuko and Akira exited the balcony, my eyes widening. Oh, this was going to be interesting.

I leaned in so I could hear what was being said as they approached each other.

"I've seen you fight," Ryuuko said, "You're not bad. It's going to be a good fight."

"Definitely," Akira smirked, putting a hand on his hip, "I hope you know, though, that I won't give up even if you've got my intestines hanging out."

"Wouldn't doubt it." Ryuuko responded dryly, his eye twitching at the thought. I smirked, then watched as Genma gave the signal.

"BEGIN!"

Ryuuko made hand signs quickly, a huge roar of water rising up and rushing at Akira, who smirked, following up with a series of hand signs of his own. A hot blast of air swirled outwards, whipping around with the water and causing it to splash everywhere. In that moment, Akira made another hand sign. I saw his fingertips glow blue.

Beside me, Kasumi seemed to gasp in recognition. I smirked. Looks like Akira knew how to make an impression. Akira bolted forward, aiming to strike Ryuuko in the chest, but Ryuuko swung his arm around to block. Akira frowned and brought his other hand forward to catch Ryuuko in the stomach, but Ryuuko used his free hand to grab Akira's wrist and jerk his hand downwards. Akira yelped and Ryuuko brought his knee up, hitting Akira in the face, knocking him backwards. Akira stumbled, bringing his hand up to his nose, which was obviously broken. Ryuuko frowned.

Akira's fingertips touched the sides of his nose, glowing blue as he healed the broken bone inside. Akira smiled.

"Don't let me stop and have time to do that." He told Ryuuko and ran at him again. Ryuuko swung his foot up, knocking another jab from Akira and twisting himself around to grab Akira's ankle. Akira flinched and he was torn off his feet into a circle through the air before he landed on his back. Ryuuko whipped around and went to kick Akira in the leg, trying to be quick about it, but he just wasn't fast enough. Akira reached up and caught Ryuuko's ankle in his hands.

Ryuuko's eyes flashed, widening as he clenched his fists to jerk his leg back, but Akira smirked and squeezed. There was a loud snap sound and Ryuuko barked out in pain, tearing backwards. He stumbled a little, catching himself just barely. He grimaced and looked up as Akira zoomed around to his feet, kicking up dirt as he skidded across the ground on his knees, catching Ryuuko around the waist and pulling him along with him into the wall, causing it to crash inwards slightly.

Akira jumped back out of the dust, Ryuuko stumbling back as well. Akira went to make hand signs, but Ryuuko flung a kunai at him before quickly making his own hand signs.

Fire shot out from Akira's palms as huge torrents, only to meet Ryuuko's powerful water dragon once again. The fire was doused and Akira ended up soaking wet as he pulled his hands from his face, having been knocked on his back. Ryuuko jumped up and came down at him with a kunai. Akira winced and rolled out of the way, scrambling to his feet and swinging his hand around to connect with Ryuuko's ribs.

Ryuuko coughed up some blood, gasping in the process as he stumbled, holding his ribs before he whipped around, ignoring the painful ripping inside his chest as he kicked Akira in the face.

I would have to pay Ryuuko some serious cash for doing that.

Akira flew back and slammed into the ground, yelling in pain before he scrambled back to his feet. He went to heal his wounds, but Ryuuko had learned by now and was already throwing kunai at him. Akira flinched and dodged as many as he could, one pinning his foot to the ground. He cursed out loud, scooping the kunai out and bringing it up to hurriedly block a close range attack from Ryuuko.

They pushed off together, both skidding across the ground. One on a bloody foot and the other on a broken ankle. They both looked like they were in utter agony, but they weren't stopping. It made me wonder if everyone in these exams was really trying to kill themselves!

They ran at each other again, the kunai clanging. At one point, Ryuuko swung his fist up, getting Akira in the jaw. Akira flew up and Ryuuko pushed off the ground after him, getting him hard in the gut, chest, and face with his fists and feet. Akira managed to block just a bit, even using that medical ninjutsu of his to cause some serious gashes in Ryuuko's cheek, arms, and legs.

After a moment, they landed on the ground, both breathing hard. Akira finally smacked his hands together in a hand sign. At first, it seemed like nothing happened until I noticed Ryuuko looking a little dizzy, like he was going to pass out at any minute. I assumed it was from exhaustion, until I noticed his eyes looking a little glittery.

Definitely a sign of one of Akira's favorite Genjutsu.

Probably one the most annoying Genjutsu to get out of. Ryuuko was probably seeing stars, some bright pastel coloring, and black dots. It was Akira's idea of confusing someone. It also had a pretty bad after effect, leaving the victim to be temporarily blind.

Finally, I saw Ryuuko's trembling hands touch together in a release sign and he gasped, his hair fluttering slightly at the sheer force of breaking it. Akira smirked and ran at him. I hoped Ryuuko could hear Akira's feet on the ground as he scrambled to his feet. He looked blind to me, grasping for his kunai.

Conveniently, he ducked his head just in time to avoid a stab in the face. Akira went to hit him, but Ryuuko caught his fist in his hand. Akira blinked in surprise as Ryuuko blindly tore him to the side. Akira hit the ground pretty hard, his kunai being knocked from his hand.

Ryuuko took this chance to rub at his eyes, as if trying to rub the blindness away, but it wasn't working. The genjutsu had tapped into his sense of sight. It was like having someone stick you in the dark to battle. Akira got to his feet, his hands glowing again, and he struck Ryuuko in the back hard.

Ryuuko jolted, gasping out loud as blood flew from his mouth. He grimaced a little before flipping back and kicking Akira in the face.

And that was the final blow. Akira flew back, skidding on his back until he came to a stop, panting for air. Ryuuko struggled a little to stand, hugging his arms around his gut and wincing as he looked up at Akira, who sat up a little, trembling.

"I'm all out." Akira murmured, exhausted. As a final attempt, he threw a kunai at Ryuuko, which was easily caught in his hand. Akira sighed and fell back on the ground, unconscious. I wanted to cheer, but of course, I'd get my ass kicked by Kazuya, so I just fidgeted, smirking.

"Winner… Kawaguchi Ryuuko!" Genma proclaimed. The crowds shrieked and screamed, whooping and throwing things from flower petals to full out flowers. They were a lively bunch, I'd give 'em that. Ryuuko just sighed, ignoring the fuss so he could relax onto his knees as the medic team rushed out to tend to them.

"That guy did pretty good for being blind in the end." Koyuki noted.

"He won't be blind for long," I assured, "It's just the jutsu that Akira wasted his time using." Kasumi gave me a funny look.

"Exactly what jutsu is that?" She asked. I smirked.

"Akira's favorite Genjutsu. He sends you into this tipsy world of pastel colors, black dots, and stars. It'll make you feel like you're drunk or something and then he releases it, making you blind for a few minutes after. It took up most of his chakra, though. That's why I think he wasted it." I explained.

"I think he did well," Kazuya commented, "Akira normally would've tried to cut it short and from the looks of it, Ryuuko wanted it to be short, but since they were both determined, it lasted longer than intended."

"I think Akira did great!" Kasumi declared, folding her arms over her chest with a huff.

"Just because you-" Kasumi clamped her hand over Koyuki's mouth, flailing a bit comically.

"Be quiet, be quiet!" She yelled. Koyuki grinned at her. I smirked. I'm surprised Kasumi would even like Akira after he made that perverted comment at the end of their battle… Or maybe that's what she liked?

The battles were sending chills up my spine. I was eager to watch the rest, eager to see who really became a Chuunin, and eager to ditch Daiki for good.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Gots two battles in this one since I'm trying to make these longer for you guys! Now, I hope you know that the Chuunin Exam rules for this are the same as in the show. That means even if a character lost, that doesn't necessarily mean they don't become Chuunin. Just letting you all know! The Shippuden is coming up, everyone! I'm warning you guys again to hurry and send in those updated bios. Although, the beginning of the Shippuden may allow for more time since it's mostly blabber… xD So, thanks for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are loved!**


	17. Chapter 17

**And this… My friends. IS A FREAKING LONG CHAPTER! :'D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Daiki**

**Botan**

**Miyuki**

**Yasushi**

**Shichi**

**Chi**

**Hajin**

**A/N: Beginning is Nero's POV.**

****

Chapter Seventeen: **Shattered Memories! And the Whole SHA-BANG!**

The blood in my ears was rushing and I could feel my heart pounding in my throat, echoing into my head. My fists were gripping the railing of the balcony tightly. I didn't want to go down there. I was tempted to just say I give up right away.

"_No wonder… You should back out or I'll drive you insane."_ Mai's voice said in my head, making me cringe. She was completely serious about it too. There had to be a way to get around that bloodline trait of hers.

"Nero! It's your turn." Kai said from beside me, giving me a little nudge. I jumped from the close contact and snapped back to reality to find Mai already down in the arena, looking at me expectantly. I gritted my teeth.

Too late. I couldn't back out now. Not with everything that's at stake.

I mean, 1,000 ryo? There was no way I could actually pay Koyuki that much!

I swung over the edge of the railing, landing in a crouch before standing up straight and approaching my opponent. Genma shifted his eyes between us, before nodding.

"BEGIN!" He announced. Even so, I didn't move. I looked at Mai, who looked back at me, but I didn't dare meet her eyes. No way. I could hear this nagging voice at the back of my mind, no doubt that damned woman, who was waiting for me back at the village.

Maybe if I was lucky, Mai would actually kill me, make me go crazier than I am. Yea, I wasn't going to lie and try and be tough. I was scared of what had happened back then, what happened now, and what will happen. I was scared dying. The very thought made my skin crawl and my chest swell.

But maybe that was the only way I could stop everything.

I looked up at Mai, who frowned at me. I sighed.

"Try and do this as fast as you can." I stated. Mai blinked and went to reply, but I moved. I darted forward, unhooking my maul and swinging it around. Mai's eyes flashed and she didn't have much time to use her eyes against me because she jumped up and kicked off the handle of my maul, jamming it into the ground. I flinched and let go immediately to jump away as she landed where I was standing previously.

She whipped out a kunai and flung it at me, but I caught the blade with my hand, throwing it aside and ignoring the slight pain in my hand. I ran at her, going to punch her in the stomach, but she easily swung her arm around, knocking my attack away. She punched me in the jaw, sending waves of pain through my head. I blocked her next attack at my face and flipped backwards.

My eyes almost met hers, but I quickly lowered them to her feet and bolted at her again. I was ducked pretty low as she made a punch for my head and caught her around the waist, tearing her off her feet. I felt her jam her fingernails into my neck, but I ignored it as I slammed her into the ground, kicking her in the stomach in the process to cause her to skid across the ground. She seemed preoccupied with trying to get up on her feet, so I whipped around and went for my maul, but I felt something pierce my feet.

I yelped and immediately fell off my feet onto my ass, looking down to see a scatter of caltrops stuck into the ground as well as through my shoes and into my feet. I tore off my shoes. This was the second pair I lost in the last month. This was stupid!

I tore the spikes out of my feet, yelping in pain as blood spattered across the ground. I was just about finished, only a couple left before I felt a harsh tug on a handful of my hair. Mai had recovered quickly and jerked on my hair, making me wince. She pulled out a kunai and went to swing it into my throat, but I caught her fist with both my hands, trying to pull the kunai from my face, my teeth gritted.

I was still holding the kunai just an inch from my face when a weird voice came from the back of my mind.

"_You're following her example! A coward and a brat… Let me show you how much you mean to me!"_

I cried out and tore the kunai away, hearing Mai gasp when I twisted her wrist. I threw the kunai away from us, then reached up and dug my nails into Mai's knuckles, making her let go. I tore myself to my feet, whipping around and kicking her feet out from underneath her.

She hit the ground and I easily moved on top of her, tearing out a kunai. She winced, glaring at me. I avoided her eyes, going to bring the kunai down, but she stopped me by punching me in the gut. I let go of the kunai and fell back, coughing. Mai flipped onto her feet and swung her foot out, kicking me harshly in the face and knocking me across the ground.

I ignored the throbbing pain in my face and quickly wove some hand signs, thrusting my hand out to form an intricate web of lightening bolts, shattering the air with a whining sound as it blanketed toward Mai. She jumped up to avoid some, hopping in the little holes of the blanket, but I could see her clothing getting sliced open, her skin cut open as well.

She landed in a crouch, her hand on the ground as the jutsu faded. She was breathing hard.

"I'm ending this." She stated and ran at me. I rolled out of the way, aiming to kick her feet out again, but she leapt over them and whipped around, kicking me in the back of the head. I scraped my face on the stones and managed to heave myself to my feet, turning around. Mai's face was right in mine, our eyes locking. Aqua green and dangerously bright red.

Immediately, everything was black. It sounded like I was in some kind of empty, dark room. I frowned. I could even see my own hands it was so dark. That's when I felt it. The familiar harsh bite of leather across my face. I clasped my hand over my face.

Crap! I felt into the jutsu!

A slap went across my face and I gasped, blood flying out of my mouth. Something slammed into my gut and I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air. Something strong went around my throat, gripping tightly and jerking my face up.

Icy blue eyes, almost white and very cold. So cold they gave me a chill just looking at them. It was all I could make out in the dark room and then I remembered this scenario and what was coming next.

Another slap came across my face, stinging as it mingled with the pain of the lash. I felt something jagged and sharp wrap around my wrists, like barbed wire. Pain roared up my arms and swelled in my chest, forming a lump that was trying to find its way upwards. The sour, burning smell of blood rose through the air like natural.

I felt like someone was probing through my mind now. I could actually feel the hand grasping at everything inside my head. It sounded like someone was taking pieces of glass and breaking them, but the crackles were more like explosions in my head. I could feel my body shaking uncontrollably.

It was happening again! The glass, the mirrors, the cracking sounds! They were falling apart again! Lettering from before flashed through my head. For a split second, I could make out several words before it became a whole sentence.

_We must send the terror away, love._

I immediately recognized the term of endearment and the voice in my head reading it. It was _him_. He was talking to my mother, but I couldn't hear her voice. Another sentence followed the next one, then another and another before it became a paragraph.

_I can't stand being near you anymore! You're tearing this family apart, damn you! If you want to become so powerful, then I will ruin your chance! I'm going to take them all away! Every last memory! I'm going to shred his mind apart! You will no longer have an heir to rein your terror…! Chikao!_

Suddenly, the letters became blurs. I saw a quick flash of someone running, a pair of high heeled shoes with a long kimono dragging after. It vanished, replaced with a pile of books sitting on a table, all having blurry titles that I didn't recognize. I couldn't read anything anymore. The words were slowly becoming nothing to me. Just symbols. The voices started to sound like gibberish. I heard the crackling of the breaking glass as one by one, the bits began to fall down in front of me. Reflections, pictures of everything that happened before were slowly breaking and crumbling to pieces.

I heard a loud scream, followed by another, and another, until it was giving me a headache. It was echoing everywhere and I felt someone digging glass into my skin.

That's when I realized who was screaming.

It was me.

Just like before. It was all happening again.

My mother tearing my mind apart from the inside out. She was stomping on every piece of memory that I had left, her black heels hitting the glass and cracking it. I heard myself scream again. The pain of the barbed wire around my wrists was making my body feeling hot and exhausted.

I could hear _his_ voice, rising above the gibberish that my mother was speaking… My mother. I had a mother, right? Everyone had a mother…

But I didn't know anyone, did I, so how did I know? Did I know anything? What was going on? I was sitting in my room… I was holding a picture book… What's a book?

What's a picture?

A room?

Cloth, soft and silk brushed around me and I felt someone's soft, warm hair touch my face. I blinked and everything seemed a bit more clearer. The hair was the same color as mine, but longer and silkier. I could make out glitter glowing in it too.

It was very beautiful.

I felt someone's warm hands touching my cheeks from behind me before the soft hands covered my eyes. The view of the inside of that place, the place that I slept in was gone. No more weird things on the walls, no more sleeping place, no more little animals that stared back at me with fake smiles and glassy eyes.

Someone's lips touched my ear.

What were lips?

Something was saying something into my ear, but I couldn't tell what it was. Was it words or a hiss? A whisper?

Suddenly the hands grew tense, the nails digging into my face and I screamed. As soon as I did, however, everything vanished. Just like that. In the blink of an eye and I found myself staring at the arena back during the Chuunin Exams. I gasped and found that I had fallen backwards, away from Mai.

The spikes in my foot had brought me back from the torment. Mai was staring at me, her eyes back to normal as if she couldn't believe what she had seen in my head. I could feel my body shaking, but I wasn't screaming anymore. Even the crowd had gone deathly silent. I gritted my teeth and tried to move, but I found myself paralyzed.

In fear, no doubt.

Damn it. So this was it? I was going to have to pay up to Koyuki. I was probably going to get my ass kicked, even being like this. I twitched my fingers as Mai walked up to me, standing over me.

"Give up?" She asked.

"Bite me." I responded sharply. Mai's eyes flickered and she swung her fist down in my face, knocking me back on the ground. Past Mai's glare, I saw that the sky was particularly blue today… Some clouds up there too…

"I warned you to give up. That was your last chance." She stated, putting her shoe on my head, as if to crush me. I smiled a little.

"Good. Then you'll stop wasting your breath." I replied and my hands sprung up, catching her leg. Mai's expression darkened and she let to pull away, but I kept a good grip on her before I tore her down to the ground. My body was still feeling somewhat stiff, but I managed to pull myself over her, snatching up a kunai that had been lying nearby.

I went to slash at her face, but again, her icy blue eyes glowed red. I felt someone someone's arms go around me as if to hug me before nails cut deep into my chest. I gasped and dropped the kunai. Everything seemed to be fading toward the darkness again.

No way! Not again!

Desperately, I grabbed Mai's shoulders and jerked her hard, slamming her head into the ground. She yelped and the jutsu vanished. I gasped for air, scrambling away from her. I had to knock her out and knock her out face or else I'd go insane. I made hand signs quickly, concentrating as much of my chakra on this as possible.

Mai flung herself to her feet and whipped around. I grabbed her by her arms and squeezed tightly. She looked at me dangerously, her eyes glowing red again. At the same time she activated her jutsu, I activated mine. I sent volt and volt of electricity coursing through her body, my hands feeling like they were melting from the power. Mai's body convulsed, her eyes glowing even redder for a split second.

I felt the lash across my face, my back. I gasped and gripped her tighter, trembling myself as pain ripped and roared up my spine and into my head. I finally let go so Mai could slump to her knees, choking up blood. I stumbled backwards, worn out. I was out of chakra, out of energy. I was done for.

I fell on my ass, watching Mai fall to her hands and knees, spitting up blood as she shook, wincing. She was done too. She wasn't making any moves to attack now. Just shaking on her hands and knees, sucking in deep breathes of air.

And that was it. That was the end of the battle. I fell on my back. I felt like I was going to die. I couldn't hear who had won the match through the pounding of my heart in my ears.

_Thu-Thump… Th-Thump… Th… Th… Thump…_

Cool. My heart actually did beat. And they said it never did…

**Ruriko's POV**

"Nero!" Koyuki and I both yelled this at the same time. She forced herself up away from her crutches to lean on the railing, staring into the arena. Mai was done for. She was already falling onto her stomach now. As for Nero, he had hit the ground on his back, staring up at the sky.

"Nero! Get up!" I don't think he could hear us. He seemed kind of out of it. Instead, he just smiled and closed his eyes. I didn't know what to say now. Koyuki was grimacing.

"Because neither opponents can continue-" Genma started, but I cut him off.

"No way! He's still awake!" I yelled. Kazuya jumped up, smacking me upside the head.

"Ruriko! Don't!" He protested. Genma looked up at me pointedly, like 'hey, freaky cannibal girl, it's not your call'. He started to go on, but I saw Nero make a face and open his eyes, looking up at me.

Just the look on his face told me I should shut the hell up and let him sleep. I stared at him. Genma seemed to be curious as to why I spoke, then realized Nero was still awake.

"If you can stand up, you will win the match." He stated. Nero groaned and uttered a few curses, mostly at me, before he squeezed his eyes shut, lifting himself up off the ground.

"Come on, Nero! Get up! Get up!" I barked. Nero managed to get into a sitting position, then got to his knees. He was taking his damn time! I could still see the spikes in his foot, but he didn't seem to care at this point. He finally got to his feet, but he was slumped slightly and swaying, like he was going to fall back over.

"The winner is Nero!" Genma stated aloud after a nod. Everyone roared with cheers, practically shaking the stadium. I saw Nero smirk a little, then look at Genma.

"Can I fall back over now?" He asked. Genma chuckled and gave a nod. Nero nodded back and easily hit the ground again, unconscious now. I beamed anyway.

I had to make a note to treat him with a little more respect now.

… Just a little more.

"That was rough." Koyuki sighed and fell back in her seat. I nodded.

"But I don't think I want to remember those screams…" Kasumi said quietly, averting her eyes. She had covered her ears at one point.

"I know," I muttered, "If I ever get my hands on the guy who did that to him, well, let's just say I'll end up going to Hell for it."

"Ruriko…" Kazuya started, but Kotori snorted, interrupting him.

"Hell yea, I agree. No kid deserves that kind of pain… Especially not from a parent." I looked at her curiously. How did she know…? Kotori caught me looking at her and winked, making me blink in surprise.

She knew?

"There's still another battle, Ruriko, now sit down!" Kazuya ordered, jerking at my vest to get me into my seat. I huffed, but shot back up to my feet as Ayaka and Kishi jumped into the arena next.

This was going to be interesting…

"BEGIN!" Genma announced. Kishi immediately flung several shuriken forward. Ayaka smirked, but she didn't make any move to block them. In fact, she whipped out a kunai and flung it up through the air. I didn't realize why until I heard loud _TWANGS_ slicing the air. Kishi winced as Ayaka smirked.

"Wires. Nice try. My turn now." She stated, then quickly made hand signs. Immediately, rocks started piling up out of the ground. Kishi's eyes flashed and she immediately hitched a ride on one of them, making hand signs of her own. A harsh blast of wind sailed downwards, knocking Ayaka off her feet. Kishi leapt from her perch on the rock formation to throw several shuriken downwards, wires whipping about like an endless blanket of silk. They slammed down, pinning Ayaka down, but instead of responding with shock, Ayaka smirked.

And she vanished, a log in her place. Kishi cursed under her breath and back flipped on the ground in time for Ayaka to come bursting from the ground, landing a punch in Kishi's jaw. She flew up and Ayaka followed, pushing off the rocks around her, slashing her kunai at Kishi, who managed to block some of the hits.

Watching them fight for some reason really made me feel like hitting something. A good effect if Osamu was around!

Ayaka swung her foot around and kicked Kishi in the gut, sending her slamming through a large portion of rock and into the arena wall. Kishi slid down, but got on her feet, jerking her head up as Ayaka ran at her with a kunai. However, Ayaka didn't get very far as something caught her ankles and held her still. She yelped a little, looking down at her feet.

The faint, glittery smooth blue of chakra was around her ankles, climbing up her legs like snakes. Ayaka's eyes flashed and the chakra shot up at her, punching her right in the face and knocking her head back. Kishi took her chance and bolted forward, elbowing Ayaka in the stomach before swinging her knee up into her face. Ayaka skidded across the ground into a rock formation that groaned, threatening to topple over.

Ayaka zoomed away from it, wincing as she wiped blood from her mouth. Kishi whipped around, making hand signs at the same time Ayaka did. As dirt kicked up and swirled into an almost tornado fashion, a result of their jutsu mixing. I could see that shuriken had gotten in that mix as well, whipping around at them.

That's when I saw the chakra from Kishi jerk away, rushing forward and grabbing Ayaka up like a giant fist, tearing her into the mass of rock, wind, and weapons. There was a loud scream, more of frustration than pain, though. I saw rock jut from the ground, threatening to crush Kishi to pieces, but she made hand signs, using another wind jutsu to pull her up quickly, but she couldn't out dodge one jutted rock that slammed into her foot, making her cry out in pain.

I grimaced. By now, that little whirlwind had stopped, Ayaka hitting the ground, hard. Kishi followed soon after, but both kunoichi got scrambling back to their feet. They slammed into each other with kunai, the metal blades clanging together. They kept slamming their kunai, getting in some slashes before Kishi swung the kunai at her. Ayaka dodged to the side smirking, but it was short lived when Kishi threw another kunai on her other side. A wire hissed as it caught Ayaka around the ankles, knocking her off her feet.

Immediately, the chakra whirled out as a blue whirlwind catching Ayaka up off the ground and slamming her into the arena wall. Ayaka gasped as the back of her head hit the wall. I saw her eyes darken slightly and blood fly out her mouth. Kishi held her there with her chakra squeezing until Ayaka cough up a thick glob of blood, slumping. Kishi released the chakra, falling to her knees and breathing hard, wiping blood off her face.

"Winner… Saki Kishi!" Roars from the crowd soon followed. Most people would have covered their ears because the cheers the crowds made were so loud, but it was music to my ears. Even if the cheers weren't for me, it was a thrill to see them all fight. Maybe it wasn't so bad that I wasn't able to pass…

**Nero's POV**

The hospital was buzzing and giving me a headache. No wonder Koyuki and Ruriko were eager to get out of this place. It was hectic. I pulled the blankets over my head and rolled onto my side.

"Is that any way to greet your guests?" A voice barked and I jumped, throwing the blankets off as Ruriko walked in with Koyuki.

"You guys actually got in?" I asked, perplexed. Ruriko hopped up on the edge of my bed, letting Koyuki take the chair beside it.

"Hell yea," She retorted, "I had to bite someone to get in here!"

"She's not joking either. Poor guy." Koyuki sighed, folding her arms over her chest. I sweat dropped, then shrugged.

"At least you guys made it in… Did they announce who was going to be Chuunin or not?" I asked eagerly. Yea, I wanted to know! I almost died out there! The least they could do was throw some papers at me saying that I was Chuunin for cryin' out loud!

"No," Koyuki sighed, "But they're going to call all the finalists into a room… Oddly enough, the Hokage asked me to come too."

"You think you're going to be a Chuunin even though you failed the preliminaries?" I asked. Koyuki grinned.

"That'd be awesome! But it's probably just to ask about how I'm doing… Something simple like that. So, anyway, enough about me, how you feeling?" She asked, cocking her head. I shrugged.

"My feet are killing me… I don't know if I'll be able to walk back to Suna-"

"To hell," Ruriko cried, suddenly looking like she was going to die, "You can't stay here any longer! We have to go back, ya know! What about that lady, huh? She'll throw a fit if you don't come back on time! And we have to inform the elders of your accomplishments and-and…" She stopped to realize Koyuki and I were staring at her. She blushed slightly.

"Uh… Never mind." She looked away. I raised an eyebrow, then looked at Koyuki.

"Other than that, I'm fine." I replied. Koyuki smirked.

"Good. Because when we meet again, we're going to battle again and this time, I'm going to beat you."

"We'll just see about that." I responded, not even realizing how cocky I just sounded. Ugh, it was rubbing off! I sighed, falling back on my pillow and looking up at the white ceiling.

"I just hope I never have to fight someone like that again," I muttered, "Worst experience of my entire life."

"Don't tell me you're scared of Mai now." Koyuki mused. I twitched.

"Hell no! I'm just saying… Uh… Well, I forgot what I was saying, but that's not the point. I just want to get out of here and fast. This place is terrible… And so is the food." I added.

"I KNOW," Ruriko sighed, exasperated, "You'd think they were gonna pamper you after almost dying!"

"I bet it was especially bad for you." I muttered under my breath, earning a sharp glare from Ruriko and a smirk from Koyuki. A sudden thought hit me in the face and I looked at Koyuki.

"What about Kai? He was scheduled to battle me. Did they count me out?" I asked urgently. Koyuki snorted, folding her arms over her chest.

"You kidding me? Kai backed out at the last minute! He said he wasn't in the mood to fight or something like that… But he told me to tell you maybe some other time." She muttered. I sweat dropped.

"Tell him thanks. I'd really thought they'd call him the winner."

"Nope. He literally backed out. After the battles, he was already heading out of the stadium, trying to be all cool as he did it. I swear, he's never going to become a shinobi that way." Koyuki sighed, shaking her head. I smiled anyway. Wow, that was a stroke of good luck. I needed that.

They stayed a bit longer, mostly joking around. It was better than being alone. I had gotten a room by myself, lucky me. I was alone again when they left, but I was feeling pretty tired, so resting was nice.

My body was still sore and achy the next day when all the finalists were called in. Most of us were still in the process of healing with bandages and even crutches. The Hokage was sitting at her desk, writing before everyone made it in. I'm sorry, but I couldn't help, but stare at her.

Her long blonde hair was tied into pigtails that were loosely draped over her shoulders, which were hidden under a green jacket. Her boobs were freaking huge. Sorry, but who couldn't see those things? They practically hung out of her gray top! She looked up as everyone got in, revealing her eyes to be a stunning green. She rose to her feet, folding her arms over her chest.

"Glad you could all make it. I'm here to inform you of who has gotten the right to become a Chuunin… And for the first time in a pretty damn long time, you've all earned the rank of becoming a Chuunin." I stared at her. Was she nuts? All of us? That was nine. I looked at the others. They looked pretty shocked too.

"You're kidding me!" Ayaka cried.

"You seriously just declared us all Chuunin?" Osamu yelled.

"We almost died and you actually promoted us to Chuunin?" Akira asked dryly.

"Did you even think about it?" Kai muttered under his breath. Lady Tsunade huffed and slammed her hands down on her desk.

"I put some careful consideration into each of you, so quick your whining and be proud!" She barked. The brunette woman beside her, Shizune, sweat dropped.

"Lady Hokage…"

"Can you at least tell us why you chose us?" Ryuuko asked.

"Yea, leaving us hanging like this is ridiculous." Mai agreed, frowning. Lady Tsunade glared at us at first, then smirked and stood up straight.

"You each have unique and powerful skills. Your battles were the ones that entertained me the most. Not just your physical battles, but your mental battles. I could see each and every one of you thinking hard about your situations, about why you want to become a Chuunin and when you knew your match was going to be tough. Even you, Koyuki," Tsunade turned to Koyuki, who jumped a little, staring at her in disbelief, "You may not have made it to the preliminaries, but you seemed to have your mind in the game no matter what and you even made friends with an opponent. Allies are extremely important in the ninja world and having them is vital to protect your friends, family, and village. I am very proud to say that you all deserve your rank as Chuunin."

Wow. That was a long speech. I was still in shock, even when they handed me the file to take to the village elders back in Sunagakure, stating that I was an official Chuunin.

"Can you believe this? We're actually Chuunin!" Akira cried and practically tackled me off my feet, making me wince a little, but I sighed, rolling my eyes and smirking anyway.

We were Chuunin, officially. I was excited, but in the back of my mind, I could still imagine Ruriko remaining a Genin. She was probably going to be pissed off when we told her we all became Chuunin and she just… Kinda stayed a Genin…

**Ruriko's POV**

"All Chuunin?" I demanded angrily. Nero sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"I told you she was gonna be pissed." He said to Akira, who had given me the news with a big grin on his face. I twitched, but relaxed a little. No, I shouldn't be mad. I smiled instead.

"Good job!" I stated, giving them a thumbs up. Akira blinked, then beamed, waving a finger at me, yelling at Nero.

"See, see? She's proud of us! Just like a good sister should be!" He shouted. Nero blinked, surprised and looked at me.

"You're not going to take our files and shove them down our throats?" He asked, perplexed. I smirked, folding my arms over my chest.

"You kidding me? This just motivates me to work a lot harder to kick your asses! I'll prove it to you and everyone else that I can become a Chuunin without the exams! I can become a freaking Special Jounin by the time I come back here and I give you my word!" I announced.

"Atta girl." Kazuya smiled from behind me, patting me on the head. Nero slowly smiled.

"I think these exams changed all of us then." He said.

"Hell yea," Akira retorted, "Taught me that I need to carry some weapons other than shuriken and kunai! And I'm going to take lessons at the hospital back in Sunagakure too so I can work on my medical ninjutsu."

"I guess I'll just work on trying to be a sensei," Nero decided with a shrug, glancing at Kazuya to see his reaction, "It looks like it'd be fun to be a sensei. I want to have students of my own." For the first time in a long time, Kazuya didn't hit Nero over the head and instead beamed at him.

"That sounds like a perfect idea. Being a sensei is very rewarding and it's nice to have you guys around. Brightens up my day!" He said, patting Nero on the shoulder.

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Kotori's voice proclaimed. We turned to Kotori who was approaching us at the gates.

"Heading off already?" She asked, tilting her head. Kazuya sighed, smiling a little sadly.

"It's best we do. We're going to cause traffic backup is we stick around for the other teams that came from everywhere else… It was nice seeing you again, Kotori. Hopefully we'll meet again in the future." He replied.

"On better circumstances too." Kotori grinned and winked at him. Kazuya smiled. Still the oblivious moron he was, didn't take the hint and my entire team smacked their foreheads.

"Next time we meet," Osamu told me, making me look at him with a scowl, "You better be Chuunin so we battle again. There's no way in hell you're getting away from me!"

"Same goes you, jackass!"

"Brat!"

"I can't tell if they're friends or enemies." Nero muttered, folding his arms.

"I think it's called frienemies." Kishi said quietly, smiling.

"I guess we're off then." Kazuya smiled at Kotori, who nodded.

"Good luck! And be careful on the way. Don't want to run into any enemies." Kotori pointed out.

"I'll say." Kazuya sighed. With that, we were heading out the huge gates of Konohagakure and back to Sunagakure… But we weren't out of the dark yet. I smirked to myself, hoping that my paid friends were in position behind us. As soon as the gates slammed shut behind us, I took off.

"Ruriko! Hold up!" Kazuya protested.

"You can't possibly go this fast now!" Akira whined.

"No, no! Hurry up! Hurry up right now or I'll eat all of you, no joke!" I yelled back, landing on a tree branch and shooting forward. I really hoped that Daiki was distracted far into the village. Why?

That's right. I was supposed to give him Nero and Akira before Kazuya and I headed back. Little did Daiki know that I had a lovely chat with Kumogakure ninja, Chi, Shichi, and Yasushi.

Yasushi promised to help me after I begged for forgiveness after practically eating his team. Chi and Shichi were disguised as my teammates, ready to lure Daiki and his friends away.

What? You didn't ACTUALLY think I'd give up my teammates, did you?

Hell no!

Akira may be obnoxious and Nero may be a stalker, but they were my friends, my brothers, my teammates. No way in hell would I ever trade them for information. If there was one thing I learned as a ninja, it was that tricks were essential.

"Ruriko, you're going way too fast! In case you haven't noticed, Nero and I haven't healed all the way yet!" Akira yelled.

"Then jump on Kazuya's back and mine because we need to get the hell out of here!" I shouted back. I had to hurry and be on time, at the border before Daiki and his team left the village so they wouldn't run into us on the way with the fake Nero and Akira.

But I had a feeling we were going to make it anyway.

Man, I was good! Osamu, look out! When I come back to Konohagakure, you're in for a SHIT load of trouble!

And her name is Tsukuyomi Ruriko!

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**A/N: Next chapter is a bonus that may show you more of Nero's past in case his battle with Mai confused anyone. xD And, for those who have NOT sent in their Shippuden, you still have time, even though the Shippuden chapter may be posted tonight… Or… Well, later for those who have a different time frame. :'D So, thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	18. Chapter 18

_This is the final chapter to Part I of Shadows of Heroes! ENJOY!_

_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs in this fan fiction, except the following:_

_Tsukuyomi Clan_

_Nero_

_Mashiko_

_Watanabe Tatsuya_

_Mokusei_

_Karen_

_A/N: Beginning is in Ruriko's POV._

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_**Chapter Eighteen: No Shame, No Shame! The Pride of the Family!**_

_Sunagakure was hot, very, compared to Konohagakure's average temperatures. However, there was definitely wind there and today, thank the gods, it wasn't sunny. Heavy black clouds took up the sky, but there was no storm, despite the smell of rain in the air, mingling with the desert's thick sand dunes._

_Walking in, I was surprised to see at least some crowds in the normally empty streets. Some mothers were yelling at their children and there was some music playing somewhere, but despite that…_

_It was the same home it was when we left it._

_Kazuya led us home, although, Nero broke off at one point to trudge on his own lonely path to his apartment. The one he shared with his aunt and uncle. Two of the most useless shinobi of all time. A loud mouthed bitch and a blind pacifist._

_Unfortunately, Nero's aunt wasn't the only loud mouthed bitch in Sunagakure. We hadn't even gotten that close to our house before Kazuya was practically ambushed by his former teammates, now somewhat best friends._

"_Kazuya, you asshole! Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Mashiko yelled, coming up to Kazuya with no shame and smacking him upside the head. Kazuya yelped, grasping the side of his head. If there was anyone who could bully and pick on their teammates without any shame, it was Mashiko._

_Her hair was bloody red and tied into a curled side ponytail, her eyes a cold teal. She wore a skimpy outfit and had a tattoo and piercings. She was pretty, but she was a straight up bitch. Following behind her was Kazuya's less obnoxious, cat-obsessed friend, Watanabe Tatsuya. Dressed in a jacket and pretty much being covered in pockets, he was a medical ninja as well as Akira's medical trainer._

"_He left you a note, Mashiko. Don't resort to violence." Tatsuya muttered, but Mashiko smacked him in the arm for it, then smirked at Kazuya._

"_How'd your team do in the exams? Did they pass or fail?" She asked eagerly. Akira and I shared annoyed glares before both tugging on Kazuya's sleeves._

"_Can we go tell Hioshi we're home?" We both asked in unison. Kazuya nodded, smiling a little worriedly before looking back at Mashiko and Tatsuya to have an adult conversation. Poor Kazuya. Nobody appreciated a ball of sunshine in Sunagakure._

_Akira and I went back to our house, which was on the other side of the village underneath a cliff that hung out over the village somewhat. The house was nothing fancy and actually connected to several official buildings that spread out along the Cliffside. It was a tan, stone built structure with three stories, but one of them actually was inside the cliff, which was entirely Hioshi's floor; bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, work room, and all._

_We walked through the black wooden door onto a hardwood floor, throwing our shoes off sloppily on a nearby mat. Akira went straight to the kitchen, yelling about food and home sweet home, but I ran up the stairs, stomping all the way up the first flight, then the second before I ran into the hall that led to Hioshi's work room._

_No doubt he'd be in there!_

_I threw open the door, completely ignoring the DO NOT DISTURB sign. The work room was a mess with files and booklets, scrolls and posters. A black leather chair was sitting in front of a bunch of techy things._

"_Tsukuyomi Hioshi! This is your sister speaking, you better not have fallen asleep on the job!" I yelled, smirking. I waited a second before a pale, bandaged hand appeared behind the chair._

"_I'm here." He stated in a mature voice, then swiveled around in the chair. Hioshi, being twenty-three, was about five foot eleven, wearing a loose fitting blue long-sleeved shirt with a low collar and matching pants that hid his ninja shoes. His headband was worn on his left sleeve. He had black hair that looked like he had just gotten out of bed and a pair of icy cold eyes that were usually calculating and cold, but whenever he saw me, they softened from ice to play-doh._

"_Ne, Hioshi! I really am I like you! I failed the exams, but unfortunately, I'm banned from ever taking them." I muttered. Hioshi blinked._

"_What? Why the hell did that happen?" He demanded, folding his arms over his chest. I smirked, mocking his movements._

"_Because I tried to eat my opponent, Osamu… His sensei's name is Kuromura Kotori. She said she knows you…" My voice trailed. Hioshi's eyes took on that cold look again, growing as sharp as the scalpels Tatsuya used._

"_Ugh. Don't mention her."_

"_Why not? Did she kick your ass?" I asked with a grin. Hioshi twitched and he rose up off his chair, a first in a while probably, but he didn't stumble like he usually did. He walked right up to me and grabbed a handful of my hair, but not too hard. His face was a somewhat comical 'shut the fuck up' look, the corner of his mouth twitching._

"_I'm going to make you regret coming home, baby sister." He threatened. I huffed, smacking his hand off me and straightening my loose ponytail._

"_Oh, come on. I'll tell you that I lost pretty badly to Osamu." I replied, smiling innocently. Hioshi's eyes softened slightly, but only slightly. Like, maybe 10,000 out of a trillionth of a bit._

"_Yea, she beat me. She left me unconscious and my stupid sensei had to carry me back to the village." He explained, studying my face to make sure I wasn't going to laugh. Instead, I smiled._

"_See? It's not so hard to admit defeat."_

"_It is if she kicked your ass pretty good."_

"_Okay, I guess so." I sighed, then hugged Hioshi around the waist tightly, snuggling my face on him. If there was one brother I loved cuddling with, it was Hioshi because it was the type of person he was. That was why a favorite past time of his was to take naps on the couch with Akira._

"_I missed you, Hioshi. Those exams were way harder than I anticipated…" I mumbled. Hioshi hugged me back, patting my head a little._

"_Yea, I know how you feel. It's because of those exams that I don't leave this place…. Not to mention that I am sick of running into cocky people, like Mashiko. Stupid bitch barged in here a while after you guys left, ranting about where her boyfriend was." Hioshi muttered. I laughed._

"_I still can't believe she and Kazuya are dating."_

"_It's not so much as dating as… Sort of… I dunno… Playing with each other?" Hioshi tried. I crinkled my nose, pinching it._

"_Gross! I don't care about Kazuya's sex life! Icky!"_

"_Haha, that's what I said. Say, as a present for coming back in one piece, wanna help me do some work today?" Hioshi asked, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to the other leather chair across the room. I beamed._

"_Let's do this! I learned a lot at the exams that I can't wait to tell you!"_

_**Nero's POV**_

_I didn't know if I wanted to take the long way home or the short way home, but either way, I'd get in trouble when I got back. I decided to take the long way, dropping off my file at the Kazekage's building before heading to the apartment._

_I can't say I lived in the bad side of town, but it wasn't where Ruriko lived at all. In fact, across the village from her house. I climbed the stairs outside that led right up to the front door of the apartment. I took a deep breath and pushed open the rickety wooden door, peering inside the small apartment. A kitchen led into the living room as well as the hall to the bedrooms, mine and my aunt's. It didn't look like anyone was home at first, but I knew someone had to be. The apartment was never empty._

_I stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind me, glancing around the apartment again. I saw some blood smeared on the floor, making me frown. I looked up into the kitchen again, seeing someone move out of the hall. At first, I thought it was my aunt so I stepped back, but then I recognized the ocean blue hair and the heavy layer of bandages over his eyes._

"_Mokusei…" I said quietly to my uncle, who lifted his face up to me. He smiled a little._

"_Nero. You're back… It's been surprisingly quiet without you around." He moved from behind to kitchen and I saw the source of the blood on the floor. He was bandaged up on his right forearm. He wore a Jounin vest and blue gauntlet sort of gloves, green pants and blue boots with a gold point in his heel._

"_Where's the demon?" I asked. Mokusei shifted from foot to foot, still trying to smile at the thought of his abusive wife._

"_Uh… She went out for a bit with some guy named Baki… I didn't bother to ask. She already got me yesterday." He sighed._

"_With what?" I asked casually, moving into the kitchen. I could smell something cooking and my stomach was growling like crazy. Thanks to Ruriko, we were all out of money on the way home._

_Idiot blew it off on some friends back in Konohagakure._

"_A fork." Mokusei responded quietly, following me. I sighed, averting my eyes._

"_I really wish she would just die already." I muttered, opening the fridge. Mokusei's smile went into a frown. I prepared for a lecture. Even though my aunt was an abusive, sadistic bitch, Mokusei said he'd never leave her alone. The apartment was under his name, so if they broke up, my aunt would be on her ass outside and Mokusei had way too much of a conscious for it._

"_Nero, don't say that… Karen has taken care of you ever since you were little. If she heard you say that, she'd be heart broken."_

"_My heart or hers?"_

"… _Whichever. Either way," Mokusei came up beside me to mess with the food on the stove while I chugged a bottle of alcohol, "She's trying her best, working hard to- Nero! You're still drinking?"_

"… _Oops." I had forgotten that I lied to him. How did he know I was drinking it? He must have known what I was thinking because he huffed._

"_I may be blind, but I know the sound of sake sloshing around in a glass bottle." He said, and reached out, taking the bottle away from me. I rolled my eyes._

"_I went a whole, what? Month and a half without any cigarettes or drinking. I think I am going to reward myself for becoming Chuunin." I retorted. Mokusei dropped the spoon he was using to stir and turned to face me. I took the bottle from him, which was easy. I think he was shocked or something, because he wasn't moving._

"_What?" I asked. Mokusei smiled a little, took the bottle back, setting in the counter._

"_Hey-!" I started to protest, but gasped in surprise when Mokusei pulled me into his arms for a hug. It was a little awkward at first. One of those rare moments when Mokusei and I didn't argue._

"_I'm so proud of you, Nero… I know you worked hard…" He said quietly, petting me like I was one of his cat summonings. I didn't pull away, though. In rare moments like these, I tried to savor it as much as possible, smiling faintly._

_But wouldn't ya know it? It was ruined just like that._

_The front door burst open and Mokusei and I both jumped, away from each other and into whatever was behind us. Unfortunately for Mokusei, it was his pot of food and it smashed to the floor. I looked at the door as my aunt came in._

_Her dark brown hair was tied into a bun with gold jewelry hanging off it, some of the long hair hanging down her back. Her green eyes reminded me of a panther's or something scary like that. She wore a black turtleneck with a dark red vest over it to match the skirt that hung mostly down in the back, more gold adorning her waist._

"_What the hell are you doing back?" Was her greeting directed at me. I dropped my eyes to the floor._

"_The exams are over, Karen. I passed."_

"_That so," She brushed past me, giving me a little shove so she could get to the fridge, her long nails clinking on the fridge handle, "I'm surprised it didn't kill ya." For some reason, it annoyed me how she rolled her R's and her voice seemed to whine all the time. I hated that. I gritted my teeth over my tongue to stop myself from making a stupid comment._

"_Karen," Mokusei protested quietly, wiping the mess up off the floor, "The least you could do was congratulate him… He worked very hard to pass those exams."_

"_Says you," Karen snapped and went to step on his hand, but Mokusei anticipated it and jerked it out if the way, "I've seen what he does in his room. Just lies there, sleeping until his damned sensei interrupts my relaxation time."_

"_Shut up! Kazuya's a good sensei!" I blurted. Mokusei lifted his face, giving me a 'why did you open your mouth' expression. Karen's green eyes locked on me._

"_You have some nerve talking to me like that. Bite your tongue or I will rip it out." She threatened icily. I grimaced, gripping the counter behind me tightly and nodding. Karen paused, studying my face, then grabbed my jaw roughly to look at me closer._

"_A scar. Why do you have a scar across your face like that?" She demanded. I averted my eyes._

"_I just came back from the Chuunin Exams. It's just one scar."_

"_Who gave it to you?"_

"_Some girl-"_

"_Give me a name, boy!" Her nails dug into my jaw and I winced._

"_Kamaya Mai!" I replied. Karen let go of my jaw and popped open the can of alcohol from the fridge, the heavy scent of beer reaching my nose. She huffed._

"_She's a good girl. I hope I'll meet her someday. As for you, you're on lock down for snapping at me. Get your ass in your room or I'll drag you there." She ordered, smacking my cheek and heading to the living room. I gritted my teeth, wanting so badly to hit her, but Mokusei stood up and patted my cheek gently where Karen smacked it._

"_Do what she says, Nero… Just be the bigger person." He advised quietly, smiling._

"_I stand by what I said earlier." I muttered. Mokusei sighed, then took the bottle of alcohol, handing it to me._

"_If it settles you down, just one bottle."_

"_Hell yea. I'm not gonna get drunk… That's for people with no sense of humor." I muttered, making Mokusei chuckle._

"_I'm very proud of you, Nero. You're the pride of the family." He said before moving into the kitchen to ask Karen's dinner request. I sighed and went to my room down the short hallway, kicking my door open. I heard Karen bark at me for it, but I ignored her and shut the door behind me. Unfortunately, there was no locks or handles on the doors inside the apartment because Karen wanted to be able to barge in on you if you were doing something stupid or needed some yelling at._

_My room was messy, mostly covered in clothes and bottles. That's when my eyes landed on my nightstand. There, in the light of my dusty light bulb, was a fresh packet of cigarettes._

"_I love you, Mokusei." I grinned and went right up to it, snatching it up and the lighter along with it. I stuck the cancer stick between my lips and fell back on my bed, leaning my head out the window to stare at the desert and the village._

_I wonder what life was going to be like later on… Still the same or maybe worse…?_

_**END OF PART I.**_

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_**A/N: And the Shippuden chapter will begin after I post this one. xD Don't forget to send in those Shippuden versioned OCs! Or else they won't be making an appearance in he Shippuden! :O Well, I hope you enjoyed Part I! Now get ready for Part II, the Shippuden version! YEA! BELIVE IT. -smacked- ACK.**_

_**Nero: About time someone did that!**_

_**Akira: I'll say.**_

_**Tsukuyomi: Hey, both of you shut up and get out of my Author's Note D8!**_

_**Nero: One last thing… Thanks for reading everyone! Hope the characters are right on the button.**_

_**Akira: And your reviews are truly appreciated and loved! If they were people, I would so date them-smacked-**_

_**Tsukuyomi: HA!**_


	19. Chapter 19: SHIPPUDEN

**THIS IS THE SHIPPUDEN OF SHADOWS OF HEROES. WELCOME!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I don't own any of the OCs, except the following:**

**The Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**A/N: This is in Ruriko's POV for a while, I believe… So yea. :D**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

PART II, Chapter Nineteen: **Tsukuyomi Ruriko! You Suck at Stealth!**

Kicking up sand with black, knee-length boots with slits in the sides, my black thigh-high shorts connected to legs made of fish net billowing around my legs and the breeze that made my fish net shirt flutter, save for the dark purple breast cover and hood that made up the v-neck of my shirt.

My black hair tied in a high ponytail, a portion of it hanging over my right eye, as lavender as it was when I was born.

Tsukuyomi Ruriko was the name my mother gave me. And that was the name that I yelled at the top of my lungs as I landed on the cliff that hung over top of my house.

"Guess who's back?" I roared and flipped off the cliff, landing on the ground below and making sand fly up. I whipped around to see Kazuya stepping out the door, looking up with the same old, beaming grin.

He wore the same sand Jounin vest over a dark brown turtleneck with short sleeves, matching light tan arm warmers that only covered half his middle finger and thumb to go with dark brown pants and black ninja boots with black padding on the front, his forehead protector glinting in the afternoon sun.

"I heard you coming on the roof. I was just going to go meet Nero and Akira for tea. How did your mission go?" He asked, tilting his head. I smirked, putting my hands on my hips and thrusting my thumb at my chest.

"I just picked up the best dirt on Akatsuki ever! I'm heading in to report it to Hioshi before I go on my next mission! Mind waiting up for me so I can come with?" I asked.

"Sure thing. Hurry up, though. You know how Akira gets." Kazuya sighed, exasperated at the thought of Akira's nagging. I smirked.

"Got it." I bolted into the house, racing up the stairs. I had pretty much gotten faster at climbing those damned stairs to meet Hioshi every day. He'd become my boss now, in charge of the special information squad of Sunagakure.

I ran down the hall, throwing the door with the DO NOT DISTURB sign on it. Hioshi was already standing up, dressed in a pale blue shirt to his elbows, baggy black pants, a muffler hanging around his neck, hiding his chin and bandages around his wrists, black gloves hiding his hands. He glanced up, somewhat tiredly, but I could see his smirk of satisfaction.

"Afternoon. Glad you made it back in one piece." He mused. I reached into my kunai pouch, whipping out a scroll and tossing it to him.

"Ne, wasn't so hard… It was heavily protected, but I'm a master at eating the baddies." I replied with a wide grin. Hioshi chuckled and caught the scroll, glancing at it, then at me.

"Next mission is from the Kazekage himself." He replied. I blinked.

"Seriously? What could Lord Gaara want that I could get him?" I asked, grinning. Hioshi waved his hand in my face.

"Get outta here. He'll be expecting you sometime today, so don't mosey on around here." He said. I huffed, spun on my heel and headed out. I joined Kazuya on a stroll through the village. Today, the sun was beating down on us, making me thankful that I changed my outfit.

"I hope you were careful," Kazuya pointed out, tilting his head, "I can't have you dying on me now after all that work we put into making you a Special Jounin."

"Ha, you can't get rid of me that easily." I winked, making him chuckle. We turned a corner toward a small café in the busier parts of the village. Sitting at a round little table, Akira and Nero were waiting.

Akira had grown, unlike me. His black hair was longer now, just about shoulder blade-length and had taken on an inky black color. He wore his headband on his forehead, causing some short strands of black hair to stick out over it, giving him a childish appearance. He wore a dark beige coat to his ankles in the back, cut off to show his belly and the sleeves hung to his fingertips while the collar buttoned shut. His black were black and billowy, matching his shoes that had a girlish heel.

Nero, I'm sad to say, he grown very much and was pretty good looking. A black cloak with purple dots on the fringe, cut up sleeves and, of course, no shirt. His black pants were bandaged at the knees, his chain decoration adorning his left arm and his maul strapped to his back. His damned cloak read: GOT BEER.

"Ruriko! Kazuya!" Akira exclaimed, jumping up and flailing his arm about like an idiot. I sweat dropped and Kazuya just rolled his eyes as we approached them. I noticed Nero was smoking, puffing smoke into the air in thick dark curls.

"Are you trying to look cool? Cuz that's gonna kill ya!" I snapped, making a grab for the cigarette, but he caught my wrist, shaking his head.

"Hell no. Why would I care what you people think? I smoke cuz I like it." He replied, his voice having grown mature and slightly deeper. I winced and took my arm away from him, messing with my wrist before plopping down. Kazuya took a seat, ordering us some tea.

"So," Kazuya began casually, "What's on the agenda for everyone?"

"I got some serious training to do," Akira announced, tapping his headband, "They're sending me to Konohagakure so I can meet another medical ninja. I think they said her name was Haruno Sakura? Man, I hope she's cute. Maybe she'll look like the Hokage!"

"Pervert." I accused. Kazuya rolled his eyes, then looked at Nero, who looked back at him flatly.

"They're making me teach an academy class to train to become a Jounin sensei…" He drawled.

"Ew, brats." I mumbled.

"Hell yea." Nero agreed, sucking on his cigarette and puffing smoke into a cloud in the air.

"What about you, Ruriko? Any big missions?" Kazuya asked. I sighed, leaning back in my seat and throwing my feet up on the table.

"Gotta meet the Kazekage. He's gonna give me the update on my mission." I replied. Nero crinkled up his nose, leaning on the table top.

"What the hell would he want with you? Aren't you just an observation girl?" He asked. I blinked and flew forward, slamming my fist on the table.

"Shut up, Nero! My job is a lot harder than it looks!"

"I'd have to agree," Kazuya put in with a nod, "She could get killed or kidnapped at any time, but the latter of the two is more probable since she holds a large amount of knowledge of criminal organizations."

"Hell yea." I agreed with a grin. Akira laughed.

"But I bet it's fun. Any of those criminals hot?" He asked. I blushed.

"What kind of question is that? They're all a bunch of blood thirsty- Actually, yes," I cut in with a grin, "Several, such as a couple members of Akatsuki, my favorite of all organizations! Like a guy from Iwagakure, his name is Deidara! He's freaking cute, from his picture. I found a picture of a guy named Uchiha Itachi too and he totally made me blush."

"We're talking about criminals." Nero deadpanned.

"I don't think they care." Kazuya sighed as Akira and I gushed over them. Hey, men were men! Criminal or kage, they were great looking. However, our gush was cut short.

"Hey," Nero said, getting up, "I have to stop by the Kazekage's anyway for my student list. Walk with me." Akira and I shared looks, glanced at Kazuya, who waved for us to go and we beamed, running with Nero to the Kazekage's Palace. It wasn't so much a palace, but we called it that since it was the biggest building. Walking inside the echoic lobby, we headed up a flight of stairs to the second floor, where Sand Jounin were lining the hall, guarding it.

People were such a spazz since they're Kazekage was the youngest, but I didn't see why. Lord Gaara could protect himself just fine. He was a powerful individual and I respected him a lot. Unfortunately, Nero didn't. Nero thought he was a little brat, but he never said so in front of him.

We walked into the Kazekage's office to find him sitting in his seat, signing some papers while his brother, Kankuro, stood nearby at attention. Gaara glanced up with pale green eyes past deep red hair.

"Tsukuyomi. I'm glad you're here, Ruriko. Your mission came in this morning," He said, then pulled a file out, handing it to me before looking at Nero, "As well as your student list." Nero didn't take it nicely from him like I did and stuck it in his cloak, looking away.

"Will you put that thing out?" Kankuro demanded, gesturing to Nero's cigarette. Nero stared at him, then puffed smoke in his direction, making him cough.

"Nero!" Akira elbowed him. I sighed, then looked at the Kazekage, who shook his head, then looked up at me.

"Your mission is to spy on Akatsuki members, Deidara of Iwagakure and Hoshigaki Kisame of Kirigakure. This is an A-ranked mission and it takes place in Tanzaku town, just outside the walls of Konohagakure. I need you to drop that medical file off before you begin your actual mission." He informed. I stared at him, my heart pounding.

This was the biggest mission I had ever gotten and my heart was swelling with excitement. I'd finally be able to see Akatsuki members in real life! Oh my gods! This was amazing! I wanted to thank the Kazekage for the honor, but Nero interrupted me.

"Hell no." He stated. I blinked and whipped around.

"Nero!" I cried. Nero glared at me, then at the Kazekage.

"She can't go on that mission! If Ruriko goes on that mission, they'll kill her as soon as they find out! Ruriko's stealth level is pretty damn low and this mission will get her killed!" He protested. Gaara frowned, folding his hands on his desk.

"I'm aware of that, Nero, but as a Special Jounin of the Criminal Information Squad, she is required to take dangerous missions. If the situation becomes threatening, she may retreat with the information she has gathered, but she must go on this mission." He explained. Nero slammed his fist down on the desk, making Kankuro jump and make a go at him, but Gaara held up a hand, rising to his feet.

"Nero. I understand your concern. Ruriko's efforts, however, have been extremely important. With her help, we've been able to stop two attacks by Akatsuki, saving the village and its people, unless that doesn't impress you at all." He stated, the dark black around his eyes making him seem threatening. Nero gritted his teeth, then took his cigarette out and dropped it on Gaara's desk.

"If she dies, I'm coming back here." He stated and spun on his heel, storming out the door. I gasped, quickly snatching the cigarette.

"I'm so sorry, Lord Kazekage. Thank you so much for this chance. I'm in your debt." I bowed quickly and ran after Nero, Akira at my heels.

"Nero! Nero, you asshole! How could you do that?" I yelled angrily, but Nero whipped around, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"I don't care about this stupid village or anyone in it. If you die, I'll kill them all myself, Ruriko." I stared at him as he glared at me.

"Nero," Akira snapped, shoving him back, "Get a hold of yourself! Ruriko's going in the same direction as me. I'll stick close to her and make sure she's all right." Nero seemed to relax, but just a bit. He frowned.

"If you die…" His voice trailed. I snorted and punched him in the arm.

"I can't believe you're doubting me… I swear I'll come back. I give you my word." I stated, glaring at him seriously. Nero studied me for a second, then turned his back.

"Fine… Knowing you, you'll stick by your word…" His voice drifted as he walked away, still looking rather pissed. I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth. Why did he still treat me like a little kid? I had grown up since our troubles with the Chuunin Exams… I'd gotten stronger, enough to punch a great hole in the great. My lightening ninjutsu was infamous in our village. So maybe my stealth sucked, but I was still working on it.

"Calm down," Akira soothed, putting a hand on my shoulder, "You know he's just worried because he likes you."

"I know… And that makes me hate him so much."

"Ruriko…"

"Come on. We've got a mission." I muttered and turned the other way, leading Akira out of the building. We gathered up the necessary supplies and headed out. I told Hioshi about the mission and he gave me some medical tape as well as some information on Akatsuki in a scroll that I kept in my shirt. It was one of those small, mini ones, so it fit pretty well behind the dark purple of my torso. In a matter of hours, Akira and I were off to Konohagakure.

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**A/N: Pretty short for a first chapter, but… Yea. xD Gonna post the next chapter in the same night! O.o Wow! Anyway, you still have time to stick those Shippuden bios in, but if you don't already have them in, you may be waiting for a bit… I have a lot of the Shippuden already planned from a while back, soo… Yea. :'D Anyway, thanks uber much for reading and your reviews are loved!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Uhm… I'm trying to think of something snappy and cool to put down, but… I can't. xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**A/N: … Ruriko's POV! XD**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty:** Old Faces Reappear, A Lot Taller Too! Jinx!**

It was just the way I remembered it… On the outside. Tall walls around it with huge gates, some Chuunin and Jounin lounging around them. Akira sighed, stretching.

"Ahh, I missed this place. The smell, the people… The temperature…" His voice drifted as he led the way in. Over the years, Akira had visited Konohagakure a lot more than most Suna shinobi, so it probably seemed the same to him.

"Hey," I said, making Akira glance over his shoulder curiously, "I'm gonna take a look around… I'll catch up with you in a bit…" My awed tone made Akira smirk and nod before he shot off toward the Hokage's building. My eyes were wide as I walked around, staring at the place. Definitely more crowded, if that were possible.

However, it wasn't long before I smacked into someone. I yelped a little, wincing before the blondie whipped around like he was going to yell at me. What a weird looking kid too with three little lines on his face, wild blonde hair and big blue eyes. His black and orange outfit was hard to miss for someone who'd be paying attention.

"Hey- Oh, hi there." The boy beamed, giving a little wave. I sweat dropped.

"That's not how you say sorry." I snapped. He blinked, then puffed out his cheeks.

"Well, excuse me!"

"That's better."

"No, I meant- Never mind! Hey, you're from Sunagakure?" He asked, poking the headband around my waist, making me yelp and smack his hand away with a glare.

"Don't touch! And yes, I am. Who the hell is asking?" I demanded. The boy rolled his eyes, then put his hands on his hips and jammed his thumb into his chest.

"The name's Uzumaki Naruto! Konohagakure's future Hokage!" He yelled in my face. I pushed his face back, rolling my eyes.

"Of course you are." I muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean? You don't believe me?"

"No, no, it's not that. It's just your smelly breath is distracting me." I replied, smiling sweetly. Naruto's eyes became round, comical circles as he gritted his teeth.

"Hey! My breath does not stink!"

"Does to. I know that pissy smell anywhere. Ramen. Ichiraku ramen to be precise." I replied flatly.

"They're ramen is not pissy!"

"I know that, dumbass! But that's how I remember the smell!" I retorted. Naruto twitched, then pointed a finger in my face.

"You're a weirdo." He accused. I glared and bit down on his finger, making him yelp in shock, jerking his finger away and caressing it.

"You bit me!"

"No way!" I cried, oozing sarcasm. Naruto glared, jumping back and thrusting his finger at me again.

"You're a sarcastic asshole, just like Sasuke!"

"Don't compare me to that criminal!" I barked, smacking his hand. Naruto dropped his hand to stare at me, then gritted his teeth.

"Sasuke's not a criminal!" He protested. I frowned, folding my arms over my chest, studying his face. He was obviously upset by the factual accusation, but it was true. Uchiha Sasuke was listed in the top ten most dangerous shinobi, but he had worked his way up there with the help of number one criminal, Orochimaru.

"You obviously haven't seen The List." I muttered. Naruto grimaced and clenched his fists.

"Sasuke's not bad… You don't know him at all."

"How do you know?"

"Because you never would have made that accusation!" Naruto snapped. I smiled a little, tilting my head.

"Ne, Naruto… Are you and him friends?" I asked. Naruto smiled nostalgically, sadly, looking at the ground.

"Yea… Best friends, and rivals…" He replied quietly. I blinked. The same relationship I had with Saki Osamu, I guess. We argued non-stop and we'd never admit to being friends and that's when it hit me.

Osamu.

The jerkbutt who beat me in the Chuunin Exams and became a Chuunin before me… If he was still a Chuunin, I'll have beat him!

"Have you seen Saki Osamu?" I asked. Naruto perked up, snapping his fingers.

"That guy? Last I knew, he was training for some test. I didn't know you knew him." He mused.

"We met during the Chuunin Exams a while back… How come I've just heard of you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Naruto snorted.

"I was training with the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya the Toad Sage! Heh, more like pervy sage…" He snickered under his breath. I puckered my lips at the nickname, narrowing my eyes.

"Pervy?" I asked. Naruto laughed out loud.

"He's the author of this totally pervy book. Actually, now that I get a good look at you," He scanned me up and down, his eyes landed right on my chest, "You might impress him."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" I yelled at him. Naruto grinned.

"It's a compliment! You have nice boobs!" I smacked him hard over the head, knocking him off his feet and face planting into the dirt. I slammed my foot down on his back.

"You little pervert! I outta rip your tongue out and strangle you with it! Say that again, I dare you!" I shouted down at him, grinding my foot into his back. Naruto wailed and flailed, squirming away from me.

"Oh gods! You're as strong as Sakura!" He cried, waving a finger at me. I scowled.

"Just take me to Osamu or I'll smash your skull."

"All right already! Yeesh… Girls these days." Naruto muttered, turning and heading down the street with me at his heels. I rolled my eyes, but my anger soon subsided as my eyes drifted along the shops. Some I recognized from three years ago, others were totally new to me. After a while, we came to the familiar training field with bright green grass and tons of trees to hide in. As well as a dark stone that sat against a post on a platform.

The nostalgic and beautiful scene was cut off when a familiar figure shot from the trees, skidding through the grass just as another one came from the other side of the clearing with a kunai in hand.

The first figure was none other than Saki Kishi. Her brown hair had grown into a bob along her jaw line, her dark brown eyes glowing. She wore an interesting reddish/pink kimono that touched her knees with detailed blossoms and tree branches, black shorts covering her thighs, showing off her legs to black sandals, her headband on her forehead.

The other figure was Saki Osamu in the flesh. His brown hair was now cut short and spiky, his eyes having grown to a lighter brown. He wore a green flak jacket with a neck guard, which was open to reveal a navy jumper, the left sleeve missing and showing bandages that ran to his fingers, the right sleeve flaring around his knuckles. His matching pants ended to his calves, bandages leading to navy sandals.

And he was tall. Really. Then again, this is coming from someone who had only grown a half inch in the past three years!

"Osamu," Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs, making me plug my ears, "This girl here wants to talk to you! OSAMU! OSAMU!"

"Shut up already!" I yelled at him, then huffed, folding my arms over my chest, but dropping them when Osamu rolled his eyes and walked up to us, telling Kishi to wait. He walked up to me, then stopped to stare in shock, his eyes wide. I twitched.

"What? Don't tell me you forgot me already, jackass." I muttered, putting my hands on my hips. Osamu blinked rapidly.

"Holy- Ruriko? Is that really you?" He exclaimed, looking me up and down. I huffed.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean? I thought I looked the same!" I exclaimed.

"No way! Your hair's all the way to your ass now, just wow…" He was still looking surprised. I sighed, shaking my head, then reached up and clicked his jaw shut.

"As for you, you've changed a lot too… You're taller." I muttered. Osamu blinked and his eyes sparked before he laughed, dropping a hand on my head.

"Look at you! I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed! You're still short!" He mocked. I twitched.

"You…!"

"I feel tall then!" Naruto proclaimed, thumping his chest. I glared at him before Osamu smirked a little, turning half way away to take his chin between his thumb and index finger.

"If there's one thing that really grew, it's your boobs." He pointed out, flicking his finger at me with a wicked grin. I felt my face grow hot as I clasped my hands over my chest.

"You-You pervert! I can't believe you! What the hell? I'm going to kick your ass!" I yelled and went to strangle him, but he ducked to the side and I whipped around, elbowing him in the gut. He yelped a little, doubling over. I smirked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Jackass." I stated, folding my arms over my chest with a laugh. Naruto twitched.

"Brutal." He stated.

"You're temperamental as always," Osamu muttered, then smirked, "But just as clueless, like Kazuya." He reached out and caught me by the ankle, jerking me onto my back. I flailed a little and yelped when I hit the ground on my back, Osamu on top of me now, smirking down at me cockily.

"If this is as far as you got in three years, I'm shocked."

"Jackass!"

"Brat!"

After that little reunion, Osamu let me up and we went for a walk through town, leaving Naruto to demand where Lady Tsunade was from Kishi. I'm surprised she didn't beat his brains out, that obnoxious blondie.

"So, how have you been?" Osamu asked casually, putting his hands in his pocket as we walked. I shrugged.

"Same old, same old. I'm right where I wanted to be, working on Sunagakure's new Criminal Information Squad." I explained. Osamu blinked, then smirked.

"That's awesome… And your rank?" He pressed. I grinned at him.

"Special Jounin." I boosted. Osamu stopped to stare at me in disbelief.

"Special…? How did YOU get to Special Jounin!" He demanded. I huffed.

"I was expecting an 'awesome, nice job!' I guess you really didn't mature at all, you pervert." I accused, turning on my heel and heading to the Hokage's place myself. Osamu sighed and ran to catch up with me.

"Sorry, sorry. I just… Well, I thought you were banned from the exams."

"I am."

"Then you really did find an alternate way to become a Chuunin."

"Hell yea. I cheated." I laughed. Osamu raised an eyebrow.

"Cheat? How do you CHEAT?"

"None of your business, jackass." I replied sweetly, earning an eye twitch from him.

"You brat." He stated. I winked.

"Damn straight." I replied, letting him lead the way into the Hokage's building. The only sounds inside were our shoes smacking on the ground, echoing in the huge building. I had never really been inside it since I never made it to Chuunin…

In fact, I had skipped over it, but that was a story for a different time.

Osamu knocked on the office door before a woman's voice barked:

"ENTER!" I crinkled my nose. Ugh. I hated her. Osamu pushed the door open to reveal Lady Tsunade, looking as young as she did three years ago, but just because she was cheating by using a jutsu. The old hag. However, I put on my best business mask and walked up to the desk, where Tsunade lifted her eyes to study me suspiciously. I pulled a scroll out, handing it to her.

"It's information that I was sent to drop by before I went on a mission." I replied. Tsunade frowned, taking the scroll and handing it to Shizune with a nod.

"What sort of mission?" Tsunade pressed. I blinked. Why the hell should I tell her? Then again… Lord Kazekage never said it was top secret. I shrugged.

"An undercover kind of mission. I have to spy one members of Akatsuki." I replied. Tsunade's eyes flickered, amused.

"Is that so? And you're going by yourself, no back up?" She asked. I frowned.

"No offense, Lady Tsunade, but I don't need you hassling me about this mission. I got enough from a friend of mine. There's no way I'll fail this mission." I muttered.

"Even so," Tsunade sighed, leaning back, "Take Osamu here and Katsu Kin with you on the mission. Just as back up. You can use radios to communicate. Why Sunagakure would ever risk someone on this type of mission is beyond me."

"You're kidding me, right?" I demanded.

"Awesome! We get to see members of Akatsuki?" Osamu blurted. I glared at him, then looked at Tsunade.

"I don't need any help-"

"It's in case you are threatened. You should be used to people being cautious of you, and probably your brother as well. You and Hioshi hold enough information that may start a war. It's best you try and keep as low a profile as possible or you will be kidnapped. We can't have that happening." Tsunade informed sternly, then thrust her finger at the door.

And that was it. No more arguing. I left, Osamu beside me.

"This is stupid! I can take care of myself just fine!" I snorted. Osamu sighed, then smirked.

"But it's good you have back up! You can't risk getting kidnapped when you promised me a rematch battle."

"You're just saying that because you're happy to tag along, jackass." I retorted. Osamu shrugged.

"Worth a try." He replied. I rolled my eyes as we walked down the path, Osamu leading now since I had no idea where to find Kin. I hadn't seen him in forever. In fact, everyone I had met three years ago looked like they had changed a lot. It was kind of scary.

And not to mention everyone was freaking tall! Was I the only one that noticed this? I mean, yea, I'm glad to look more like a girl, but seriously! A little height might be nice!

Osamu led me to a familiar shop, where none other than Kin was seated, but looking like he had eaten too much having a sleepy look on his face. His green headband covered his forehead, matching the stripes and zippers on his black jacket that was pushed up to his elbows. His shoes and pants were black, the right leg with a green buckle hanging off. I noticed he had his senbon hanging out of his mouth and his earring. He stood up when he saw Osamu and I felt short, again.

"How come you all got taller?" Was my greeting. Kin cocked a brow.

"Nice to see you again too."

"Sorry," I sighed, "I'm just pretty annoyed that Lady Tsunade is sending you two on a mission with me."

"What kind of mission?" Kin asked. Osamu gave him the information on the mission while handing him a headset.

"Akatsuki? Sounds dangerous." Kin deadpanned.

"Sounds like fun." Osamu added.

"Sounds like you should be quiet." I told Osamu with a huff, making him roll his eyes and stick his tongue out. I scowled at him. With that, we were heading to the gates of the village to the outpost town just outside the limits of Konohagakure.

"So, Special Jounin, huh?" Kin asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Damn right." I responded huffily. Kin smirked.

"You're pretty cocky about it. Be careful. There's this thing called karma." He pointed out.

"Oh, please," I waved my hand at him, "This mission will go smoothly and I'll be back here in no time."

"I thought you said you were going back to Sunagakure after your mission." Osamu mused, tapping his chin. I twitched a little, then averted my eyes.

"I can stick around here for a little bit… I wanna see how everyone else is growing up."

"Literally." Kin stated, making Osamu laugh out loud.

"Shut up!" I cried, then folded my arms over my chest and snorted. My goodness, they were just the same as always. Boys…

Within moments, we were waking into Tanzaku town. It was more like a circus, though, than an actual town. People were running everywhere, stands were put up, advertising food and toys and games. I took my headset out and stuck into place as we walked.

"Hey wait a second," Osamu insisted, "Where are they supposed to be?"

"I dunno. Some dango shop in the center of town… Why?" I asked.

"You can't just spy on Akatsuki dressed like a ninja," Osamu huffed, "And not to mention we can see some of your headset. You need to find out what the workers there dress like and blend in. Take your hair down or something and hide the headset."

"Unless you wanna die." Kin pointed out. I twitched, wincing a little.

"You've been in this business for how long and you didn't know this?" Osamu questioned. I scowled, folding my arms over my chest.

"Oh, all right! But you two are coming with me." I added and dragged them along with me. I found the dango shop and I could barely make out two black cloaked figures sitting at a table. I suddenly wanted to get closer and see their faces, but Osamu jerked me back.

"Hold on there! I know you're excited, but don't just barge in there like a fan girl!" Osamu scolded. I smacked his hand away, rolled my eyes, then managed to track down a worker.

"I am not dressing like that." I deadpanned.

"Holy shit, that's hot." Was Osamu's comment, to which I smacked him for it. Kin sweat dropped, then shrugged.

"I guess you're going to have to retreat and tell the Kazekage that you failed to do your super important mission because you were too scared to dress like a girl." He sighed all in one breath. I glared, feeling my face grow a little hot before I jerked my head back to look at the worker.

"All right, fine. You two get into position. I can do this part myself." I stated.

"You sure? That outfit looks hard to put on-" I smacked my hand into Osamu's face and shoved him into Kin, who smirked and dragged Osamu off. What a perverted jackass that Saki boy is. I rolled my eyes.

Great. This was gonna suck.

I found myself, moments later, standing in a kitchen that reeked off bleach and old food. I hated myself now. And to make matters worse, they gave me the job as soon as I asked, which is so weird.

I was now dressed in a dark red kimono like dress that hung to my thighs with some kind of gold jewelry dangling from the bottom fringe. My hair was up with chopsticks, but I had two long bits hanging over my ears to hide the headset.

"All right. That was fast. Can you guys hear me?" I asked into the headset, shifting my eyes around the shop.

"Loud and clear." Kin replied through the headset.

"Holy shit, you can see your cleavage!" Osamu exclaimed.

"Asshole! I'll castrate you!" I barked.

"Ssh," Kin scolded, "You have to act like one of the workers, or at least try to. They might suspect you if you don't."

"Sorry." I mumbled, then took a tray and stepped out, peering around the corner. And then I saw them. My eyes widened. They were actually there! Members of Akatsuki!

The first one was Deidara, I recognized immediately. His hair was a dark blonde in a funky ponytail, some hair hanging over his left eye, that was covered with some kind of optical device. The next one was Hoshigaki Kisame. A big blue guy, not bad looking in person, with jagged teeth and navy blue hair.

"Ruriko, get a move on already! It looks like they haven't ordered yet. Go serve them!" Osamu ordered. I rolled my eyes and approached the table, trying not to trip in the ridiculous shoes I wore.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" I tried to be as nice as possible, but it was so hard. Deidara looked up first and smirked.

"Hell yea, hmm. How about some-"

"Mitarashi dango would be all, thanks." Kisame interrupted him with a snort, smacking cash down. I blinked, watching Deidara scowl at him. I picked up the money.

"Yea, sure… Mind giving me a bit more money than that, though?" I asked with a grin.

"Ruriko, what the hell are you doing?" Osamu barked.

"I think she's trying to rip them off." Kin muttered. I ignored them, watching Kisame give me a suspicious glare.

"Mitarashi dango is only 200 ryo." He stated. I blinked.

"It is. Why won't you let me start a conversation with you?" I asked.

"Because he's a blue-faced jerk," Deidara snorted, then smirked at me, taking out some cash and handing it over, "If it gets you to stay longer, I'll pay you anything you want, hmm." I noticed Kisame twitch and blush somewhat purple, looking down at the table like he was ashamed of his color.

Aw… I kind of felt bad for him.

… Kinda.

"Thanks," I beamed, snatching up the cash, "I'll be right back. I don't want to starve you!"

"Thank the gods, hmm." Deidara leaned back in his seat, smirking. I turned my back and went into the kitchen. I gave the order to the chef guy and went around back.

"So far, they don't ACT like criminals." I muttered.

"That's how they move around, brat." Osamu snorted.

"Shut up!" I barked.

"Just keep watching." Kin stated. I sighed, then went back around, but smacked into someone.

"Sorry." I muttered, going by the silver-haired guy, who's round glasses seemed to reflect the sun.

"No problem." He smirked and went by. I rolled my eyes, then went back to give the tray, but suddenly stopped. I got the worst feeling at this point. Like the air had suddenly gotten heavier.

"Osamu… Kin… What's going on out there?" I asked, leaning on a closet.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" Kin demanded. I grimaced, watching my vision shift and blur.

"Something's wrong. I'm dizzy."

"Nerves?" Osamu tried, but he didn't sound convinced. I pressed my palm my forehead, grimacing again before I lifted my eyes. They landed on my wrist. I blinked and looked down at a little needle that had hit my wrist. I cried out and tore it out. As soon as I did, the syringe crashed to the floor and exploded, knocking me back as well as half the store.

I gasped.

"Ruriko? What the hell just happened?" Osamu barked.

"The whole place exploded!" Kin yelled.

"Agh," I spat blood out my mouth and scrambled to my feet, "Some guy… He slammed a syringe into my arm and it exploded when I threw it down. There's somebody else here… I'm going to retreat, so… Keep an eye out…" My voice was fading to my own ears and I slammed back to the floor. The last thing I heard was Osamu yelling curses in my ear and Kin telling him to shut up and do something.

I think that old hag and Nero just jinxed my mission… Idiots…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Sorry if any of it seemed rushed. 0o; I got ahead of myself as well as distracted a few times. -shifty eyes- Don't have much else to say for this chapter… xD Thanks for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are loved with a passion!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry it took so long to update this! :'D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

… **Random old man.**

**A/N: … Yea, I think you get the fact that it's gonna be Ruriko's POV for a while now. xD**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-One: **Captured So Easily… Gotta Kiss Ass!**

Nauseous. It was my first thought when I slowly woke up, feeling kind of dizzy still. My hair had completely fallen out and was practically covering me like a blanket. I lifted my head up to stare across a rocky floor. I blinked hard, then slowly sat up on my hands and knees. The nauseous feeling subsided as I scanned the room I was in.

It was definitely underground, I could tell from the no-windowed dirt walls. A small mattress on a metal frame and a nightstand with water and some dango. I frowned, then turned to the wooden door. I blinked, glanced around and slowly went toward it. I grabbed the handle, but nothing happened. I sighed with relief and opened the door, peering out into a dark, dreary looking hallway with fire lighting up the way in lanterns.

I frowned. Underground… Definitely not Akatsuki. Something this fancy wasn't their doing. It had to be someone who liked making a big impression on someone…

I walked out into the hall, scanning it up and down. It was eerily silent, except for the lanterns that flickered every so often. Then a hissing noise and I jerked my head down.

A little black, purple dotted snake slithered up to me, lifting its head and hissing at me. I glared at it and swung my foot back, kicking it across the hall and splattering it into a wall.

"Is that anyway to treat a pet, Tsukuyomi Ruriko?" A voice asked. I jerked my head up to look down the hall, seeing the silver-haired man from before. My eyes widened as I got a better look at him, recognizing him immediately.

"Yakushi Kabuto." I stated. Kabuto pushed his glasses up on his nose, smirking.

"I'm glad you recognize me. Your specialty is criminals, so I'd be surprised if you didn't recognize me." He mused. I glared at him, clenching my fists.

"What the hell do you want?" I demanded, ignoring any information that I had on him to pile up in my head. Kabuto smirked, tilting his head and gesturing his arms out.

"Doesn't this place tell you enough? It's Lord Orochimaru's special quarters. We could have put you in with the rest of the experiments, but the way you look would have you eaten alive by the other inmates." He added, pointing to my clothes. I looked down to find the kimono torn and ripped, stained with blood and dirt. I jerked my head up.

"Asshole! Fuck you, I'm not sticking around here to meet that bastard! Not in a million years!" I yelled at him.

"You're so loud. If you keep shouting, you'll wake up Orochimaru's favorite and he'll be very pissed if you do that." Kabuto mused, tapping his foot and folding his arms over his chest. I spat at him.

"I'm not scared of any slime that willingly comes to Orochimaru." I seethed.

"You should know him, you have files on him. I'd be careful what you say." Kabuto pointed out. I had enough of this clown! Who'd he think he was to threaten me? This asshole was toast.

I made a hand sign with one hand, making Kabuto's eyes flicker and I flung out my other hand, building up a powerful amount of chakra as an electrical charge that lit the hallway up with blue. I went to release it, but suddenly, someone's hand grabbed mine just as I released it, causing the electricity to bounce around in the air around me. I winced as the tips of my fingers scorched and I jerked my hand away, whipping around and ready to yell, but I stopped.

"I hate loud mouths." Uchiha Sasuke said coldly, his Sharingan red eyes glowing threateningly past the long bangs framing his face. His skin was pale from lack of sunlight, but the black of his hair seemed to shine in the dimly lit hall. He wore an open white shirt that revealed a good amount of his sculpted chest to some black pants, a navy cloth around his waist with a purple rope holding it on. I blinked.

He totally just ruined my jutsu. It looks like I found someone else who could conduct electricity.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I warned her to shut up." Kabuto sighed, shaking his head and walking toward us. Immediately, I jerked my hand back at him and didn't waste a second firing off a spark of electricity that hit in front of his foot, making him stop. I jerked back around to glare at Sasuke.

"Don't ever interrupt me like that again or else." I threatened.

"Do me a favor and shut your mouth." Sasuke responded sharply. I started to speak again, but Kabuto took another step at me and I automatically shot another bolt of lightening at his feet, making him step back. I quickly stepped away from Sasuke in the process, eyeing him closely.

"You're a lot taller in person… I hate that." I muttered, scanning him up and down. Sasuke frowned and glanced at Kabuto, who laughed lightly.

"I think she needs rest… After we threw her in there so roughly, she's probably got a splitting headache." Now that he mentioned it, my head was throbbing somewhere near my temple, like someone slammed me into the floor. I muttered a curse under my breath, then huffed.

"If you don't want me here, then why don't you show me the exit?" I demanded.

"I wish I could." Sasuke muttered sarcastically. Kabuto glanced at me.

"I'm sure you don't want to wander around dressed like that… I still have your clothes from back in Tanzaku town, so allow me to fetch those and bring them to your room while you wait patiently." It wasn't a question. It was an order, but even so, I didn't make any move to go back to my room when Kabuto turned tail and headed back into the darkness of the hall. I whipped around to find Sasuke getting ready to depart too, but instinct made me grab his arm quickly.

"Uchiha Sasuke," I stated, making him flash me a dark look, "Sixteen-years-old, blood type AB. 115 lbs, five foot six. Your ninja registration number is 012606 and your birth date is July 23rd." Sasuke frowned, turning to face me fully.

"You've done your homework… But you seemed surprised when I stopped your jutsu earlier, so you didn't seem to know that I can conduct electricity through my body." He explained dully. I twitched, then huffed.

"Oh shut up! I was just surprised that you popped up behind me so fast… I wasn't expecting Itachi's baby brother to bother me." I replied flatly. I did what I knew would grab his attention. His eyes flashed, widening like they were fueled with hatred and his expression grew dark and angry.

"What the hell do you know about him?" He demanded. I smirked. Good. I had his attention, just needed to keep working toward it…

"I'm with Sunagakure's Criminal Information Squad. We delve as much as we can into criminals… Of course, I only do my favorite criminals. One of which being Akatsuki… If you weren't told already, I was kidnapped while on a mission, spying on the organization." I answered simply, as if it were nothing. Sasuke glared at me. I saw his body tensing. He seemed very interested in Akatsuki.

Just as I figured. Anyone trying to find and kill their older brother would definitely want to know where to find him right away.

"So what? You're saying you know where Akatsuki is?" He asked calmly, but the edginess to his voice was readable. I smiled.

Of course not. I didn't know where their base was and I don't think I would know without some good researching, but did Sasuke know that? Nooo… No way.

"So what if I do?" I replied coolly, looking the other way with a huff. Sasuke immediately grabbed the front of my shirt, jerking me slightly, but I wasn't looking at him anyway. He didn't say anything, like he was trying to get inside my head, like he was thinking hard before he let go, stepping back and shaking his head as if shaking off a bad thought. I raised an eyebrow at him before he glared at me.

"You have a big mouth.. You obviously want me to let you go in exchange for their position," Sasuke muttered, "But I'm not stupid. I know you'll just run off as soon as I let you go…"

"A possibility," I drawled, glancing at him, "IF, however, I wasn't giving you my word… If you let me out of this place, I'll help you achieve whatever goals you want. Sure, you won't want me tagging along, but I've got some valuable information that could help you… In fact, if I ever come close to breaking my word, you can kill me." With that, I snatched up Sasuke's hand, shoving a kunai in it and holding it to my throat.

Sasuke frowned at me, his eyes flickering slightly as if he were honestly considering the idea for a split second. I wondered what he was thinking because his eyes widened for a moment before returning to their narrow, annoyed look before he jerked his hand from mine, thrusting the kunai into the dirt wall to the side.

"I'll take it into consideration… But so far, I don't trust you at all."

"So what? I have to prove that you can trust me, little Uchiha?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, making Sasuke glare at me for the nickname. He glared at me for a while longer and turned his back, giving somewhat of a half nod.

"If you don't die first." He headed down the hallway without another word. I blinked, watching him go before I realized that I was holding my breath. I touched my throat and pulled it away to find a smear of blood from a hairline slice he made in my neck.

On purpose.

The narcissistic little snot.

I finally went back to my room, frowning as I sat on the bed, staring at the door as I waited for Kabuto to come back. I was still pissed off, though. A) This meant I had to try and suck up to Sasuke as best I could to get him to at least semi-trust me. B) I had no way back to Sunagakure to inform of my failed mission… And C)? I probably scared Osamu and Kin, vanishing like that.

I looked down at my feet, holding my knees together as I leaned back on my hands.

I felt terrible. I failed the mission. I had only gotten to see my friends for a short period of time and not even all of them. I had planned to stay a bit longer and battle Osamu again. I blinked to myself and gritted my teeth.

If that was one goal I had in mind… It was that one. I had to fight Osamu before I died… I had a strong feeling that I wasn't going to make it out alive, though. What if Orochimaru planned on killing me when he was done extracting information? What if Sasuke killed me before then? And Kabuto? He was just as shady. Was I really never going to see my friends again? And I got into an argument with Nero before I left too… Oh gods, and Akira promised Nero that he'd keep an eye on me and I left without even telling Akira that I was going on the mission! And Kazuya! Hioshi! I gave them my word that I'd come back alive!

Hell no! I was not dying this easily! Orochimaru was going to have to put up with me as well as Sasuke. I never broke my word. It was something that I always tried to stick by. Sure, I could find loopholes in them, but I was pretty specific with my friends and family.

I swore that I'd come back alive…

Of course, maybe after I trick Sasuke into getting me out, I can convince him to let me drop by Konohagakure and Sunagakure so I could give my friends and family the information on what was happening… Of course, I have a strong feeling that by then…

I'll end up being considered a missing-nin.

Well, life was just looking up for me now, wasn't it?

A knock on the door made me jump to my feet. Kabuto poked his head in, giving that crooked smile of his before he came in with my clothes.

"Sorry it took so long. I ran into Sasuke on the way… He looked pretty pissed. You annoy him?" He asked, tilting his head as he handed me the clothes. I snatched them, glaring at him.

"Screw you. As far as I'm considered, you're my enemy, Kabuto… If you bother me again, I'll have fun smashing your glasses into your eye sockets and eating your fingers one by one." I threatened. Kabuto smiled anyway, like some moron who didn't understand.

"Of course. That's exactly why Orochimaru found you amusing."

"What?"

"Your cannibalism… The cannibalism of the Tsukuyomi Clan is a very curious power. It's been argued that they have a secret Kekkei Genkai that they refuse to admit to… Others claimed it's merely a habit that was passed down, but it's hard to tell now. Especially since your parents were murdered when you were young, probably not old enough to be trained in the art of cannibalism." Kabuto explained. I rolled my eyes.

"You guys want me so you can dissect me like a frog? Fuck you! I'll dissect you first, with my fingernails." I retorted, then pointed at the door to tell Kabuto to get out. He smirked, heading to the door, pausing to look back at me.

"And it's that attitude that got you captured so easily." He brushed out of the room, shutting the door at the same time I heaved up the plate of dango, throwing it across the room angrily before tearing off the tattered kimono. I dressed back in my normal clothing, the fishnet shirt with a purple chest part and hood, black shorts with fish net bottoms and tall black boots.

I tied my headband around my waist, having to hook it through one of the hoops in the back of the shorts so it'd stay on good. I glanced up at the door as I tied my hair up before opening it up again and stepping out. I looked up and down the hallways before turning and heading down one.

I was free to wander, as far as Kabuto had told me. So far, the halls were all the same and I knew I was going to have trouble finding my room again. I ignored this fact and kept walking until I came to a pair of large metal doors that were chained shut. I blinked curiously, reaching out to touch it, but someone's fishnet gloved hand came down on mine, smacking it away. I jumped and whipped around to find a tall woman standing there. Her hair was petrol blue, the fringe of it completely hiding her right eye. It was layered and reached past her collarbone, the rest settling on her shoulders. She had a scar that touched the bottom of her chin and just past her right nostril.

She dressed in a sleeveless fishnet turtleneck, underneath a strapless navy top that ended at her hips with a silk, ocean blue obi over the bottom that was tied over with a thin red rope that made a bow on her left side. She wore a black, short shrug-like jacket over this, the sleeves half way down her biceps. Her right arm was adorned with a fingerless arm guard with a red metal plate on the back of her hand. Her left hand, the one that had smacked me, was covered with a black fabric, save for the fishnet parts. Black pants that touched her knees with knee high boots and a kurasigama with a large blade on her right side finished off her outfit.

She was pretty, despite the scars that seemed to be cut into her pale skin.

"What'd you think you're doing?" She demanded harshly, folding her arms over her chest in annoyance. I glared.

"Being nosy. It's my job." I retorted.

"Fuck it," She spat, "You have no business being nosy around here… Who are you anyway? Orochimaru mentioned nothing about a new face." I rolled my eyes, glancing at the chains on the door again curiously.

"Tsukuyomi Ruriko. What about you?"

"Akamizu Miyori. So what the hell are you doing here?" Miyori demanded, putting her hands on her hips now and glaring at me like I was a parasite. That was annoying the shit out of me. I glared back, although, I had to glare _up_ since she was one of the many people who were taller than me.

"I'd like to know myself, but then again… Maybe not. I just want to get out of here and go on my merry way, but it's hard to do that with no exit." I muttered. Miyori pursed her lips suspiciously for a second, then snorted.

"No exit that you should know about."

"If you're going to stand here and act like that, I'm going to rip your head off." I blurted, making Miyori's eyes flick down at me before a cocky smirk smacked onto her flat expression.

"Is that what you're going to do? I'd like to see you try, little girl!" She taunted. I gritted my teeth and went to punch her, but she was gone in a second, reappearing behind me and grabbing my arm and twisting it behind my back.

I gasped in pain, listening to my shoulder grind. After the exams with Osamu, that shoulder had pretty much been my weak point.

"You aren't even fast enough," Miyori chided, as she pulled on my arm, using her other hand to push my head forward, "Don't bother threatening me if you can't back it up. I hate dogs that are all bark and no bite."

"Ergh, fucking let go and I'll bite you all right." I seethed, but I stopped as a sudden thought smacked me in the head. Akamizu Miyori. That was why her name was familiar. She was an infamous missing-nin from Kirigakure. She did odd jobs for multiple organizations, such as Akatsuki and Orochimaru. Threatening her was like telling the devil to make peace. I gritted my teeth to stop from saying anything else stupid.

Miyori finally let go of me, shoving slightly as she stepped back, huffing indigenously.

"I thought so…" She muttered. I whipped around to glare at her, trying to move as fast as I could before I bit down on her left hand through the fish net. Miyori's eyes flashed and she jerked when my teeth sank into her hand, but I had already bitten down through the skin.

Thanks to Osamu's suggestion, I had sharpened my teeth, so now they slid right in. Of course, if you jerked and pulled, it'd hurt, but otherwise, it was like getting stabbed with a needle.

I immediately let go when Miyori reeled her fist back to punch me in the head. I had gotten away with some blood dripping from my mouth before Miyori glared at me.

"You bit me… What are you? Some kind of cannibal?" She demanded icily, holding her hand and glancing at it. I licked the blood from my lips, frowning.

"Yea, some kind of cannibal… Sorry, but I had to pay you back for twisting my arm. It's sore now." I replied. Miyori continued to glare, before a faint smirk spread across her face.

"Che… I'll probably need a rabies shot now, thanks to you… I hope you have fun here, little girl. Biting Orochimaru will only encourage him to try experimenting harder on you." She retorted, then swung her hand around, the one with the metal plate on the back of it, into my cheek before she walked down the hallway.

I winced, holding my stinging cheek before I whipped around and slammed my foot into the doors angrily, sending a numbing pain up my leg.

Damn it! She only did one move and I could already see the huge gap. What if Osamu had grown that much? I hadn't seen his fighting skills to their full extent… I sighed and leaned on the doors, frowning down at my boots.

"I really want to go home…" I mumbled and put my hands on the chains, giving them a little tug. They just jingled gently. I frowned and pulled harder. The metal groaned slightly. I gritted my teeth.

Stupid Orochimaru. Stupid Sasuke. Stupid Kabuto. Stupid Miyori. Stupid, stupid…

The chain snapped, surprising me as I leapt back. Holy crap. I stared at the pieces of chains in my fists before I threw them to the ground, glancing up at the door. I frowned and reached out, jerking on the handles and pulling the doors open.

I stared in surprise at a long, dark hallway. The air of the hall was sad and depressing, but lining the walls was the reason why.

Cells.

Prisoners were sitting in the cells, or even chained up. Several were sprawled across the floor, not even moving and signaling that they were long dead. The heavy stench of blood and rotting flesh hung in the air, mingling with a chemical scent. I felt like I couldn't breath anymore.

Not because it was particularly sickening. I had seen Kazuya and Akira go on worse missions, but my stomach had made a very cruel, growling noise. Most of the prisoners didn't bother to look up yet.

So this is how Orochimaru greeted his non-special characters. It made me grimace and want to be sick. It was terrible how the smell made me hungry, but the fact that the poor living conditions were sickening is what made me lose my appetite, no matter how much blood was in the air.

For fuck's sake, there was actually a dead kid in there. He was curled up in a corner, only skin and bones. I grimaced at the sight and wanted to walk through there, just to see if maybe I could sneak a kid out of there, but some of the prisoners had already noticed me and were spitting really nasty things that made me want to punch their skulls in, but I changed my mind.

I turned to go, but I heard a desperate cry, making me whip around. Scrambling to one of the cell gates was the kid that I had assumed was dead. His dark brown hair hung over his eyes, which were a piercing gold against his sickly pale skin. He managed to clamber over several older men and grab onto the bars of his cell, revealing sharp nails and little fangs poking out from his gums.

I had a thing about not liking kids, but as soon as I saw this kid, I was heading toward him without any consideration to the grabbing hands of the prisoners from the other side of the room. I bent close to the boy, looking at him.

"How old are you?" I asked. The boy blinked, looking at his feet before holding up five fingers. I grimaced.

"Don't bother talking to him," An elderly man spat, "He's nothing, but an animal. He doesn't talk nor did he have a name. Orochimaru only called him Roku." I glared at him before looking at the small boy, who looked at his feet, ashamed. I frowned and reached up to brush his hand out of his face.

"You look like you were cute when you had meat on you… Hey, old man, how long as he been in there?" I demanded. The old man snorted and got up on creaky, shaking bones, hobbling over.

"Born here. Mother gave birth to 'im and died right after. 'Rochimaru ain't gonna let 'im live much longer… Kid can't do anything. Can't talk. Can't eat. Can barely walk. No one taught him anything." He explained. I glared at the boy, but more at the thoughts in my head.

What the hell? This was sick! You don't keep some kid locked up, knowing he's going to die sooner or later! Hell no!

I stood up right away, glancing at the old man.

"Hey," I snapped at him, grabbing his attention as well as a few others, "I don't really like the look of a lot of you, but I'm still going to let you all go. As soon as I have a plan to get out of here, I'm taking the kid with me and the rest of you can go do whatever the hell you want."

"How ya gonna do that?" The old man snorted. I frowned.

"I'm going to have to kiss Sasuke's ass."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Yup. I decided to bring in some of the original Naruto characters, of course… Ahh, I am not a Sasuke fan girl for those who are wondering : / Yes, I think he's freaking adorable no matter how evil he looks, but I'm not a fan girl of him particularly. In fact, through the series HINTHINTHINT to next chapters, Ruriko begins to dislike Sasuke more and more until she can't stand him. C: So, yea… Don't forget those Shippuden bios. If you want to appear more often -since the Shippuden is mostly full of criminals, missing-nin, etc- You may want to include some kind of ties with criminals in your bios? But, don't worry. All the OCs from before, and some others, will show up by the middle of the Shippuden. o3o So, thanks for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	22. Chapter 22

**O.o; Sorry if this seemed rushed… xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Old Man**

**Roku's parents**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Two: **Way Too Young To Be A Mother… BYEBYE!**

After the sight in the prisoner hall, I was having trouble sleeping. I just couldn't get comfortable, so I got up to start walking around. I had been there for three days now and so far, there was no sign of Orochimaru anywhere. I was getting anxious. A lot of times, I purposely went searching for Sasuke, but I hardly ever found him. Once I found him, but he was busy talking to Kabuto about something that I wasn't going to get involved in.

At one point, I started visiting Roku, sneaking him food. He was way too skinny and I didn't want to find him really dead by the time Sasuke came up with a way to get out.

Oh yea. I was supposed to come up with a plan too. I had a pretty stupid one in mind, but I was going to wait for Sasuke to come up with one first.

One day, I was heading to a visit with Roku with a small little bag of the dinner that I was supposed to be eating, but my mind was on Roku's health. I rounded the corner to head to the door, but I suddenly got the sensation that I wasn't alone in the dreary hall.

I whipped around to find Sasuke leaning on a wall just one hallway down, watching me with a flat expression. I glared.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying not to show how annoyed I was. When I didn't want him around, he was there, but when I did, he wasn't. What the hell? Sasuke pushed off the wall, walking up to me, eyeing the sack.

"You're feeding someone." He stated. I put the bag behind my back, glaring still.

"So what? It's not like anyone else is going to do it."

"If you're going to be softhearted, I don't want anything to do with you." Sasuke stated. I snapped.

"Fuck you! He's just a fucking kid! You may be cold and heartless, but I certainly am not! Che! You rant about how you hate your brother, about how he's a bastard, but the only real asshole I see is you! Standing next to him, you're more of a devil than he is!" I shouted at him. Sasuke's eyes darkened and he grabbed the collar of my shirt.

"Don't ever compare him to me." He seethed.

"It's hard not to." I snapped. He went to grab my throat and instinct made me duck my head, biting into his hand, which he tore back. He glared at me, my eyes mirroring his annoyance and hatred.

"You're supposed to be gaining my trust and yet, you keep lowering your chances."

"I don't care," I snarled, "I'll just get out of here myself and find Akatsuki myself! I'll just kill your brother before you can, letting you live with the fact that you fail at life!"

"Stop talking!"

"I would kill you myself, but that'd be too much of a relief… I'll just watch you tear yourself apart. That'll be a lot more fun than being merciful and killing you." I muttered and spun on my heel, heading for the door, but I heard the sound of a sword being whipped from its sheath. I frowned, feeling the blade of Sasuke's sword touch the side of my neck.

"If you kill me know, there goes Itachi's whereabouts, right down the drain." I stated.

"I can always get to him in different ways." Sasuke retorted. I smiled faintly, but more to myself.

"Yea, let's watch you wander around aimlessly while Itachi jumps from place to place, taunting you when with me, you could be two steps ahead of him."

"What do you mean 'jump from place to place'?" Sasuke demanded.

"None of your business."

"You're in no position to be attempting a bargain."

"No, it's just fair. Help me get out of here and I'll help you reach your goals in no time flat… Kill me and you can look like a complete idiot as you run around, like a lost child." I explained slowly, ignoring how Sasuke was pressing the place of his sword against my shoulder, drawing a thin stream of blood.

"If you think you're putting me in a helpless position…" Sasuke began, but I waved my hand back and forth as if to say no.

"Eh, eh. I know you'd be able to do it eventually by yourself… After all, the Great Uchiha Clan is capable of anything, aren't they? No sarcasm. My studies include the Uchiha's history. Very bloody… However, I'm simply saying that I want to help you… I'm sure there's no conflict with that, right? You were trying to recruit people all week, weren't you?" I asked. I could tell Sasuke was frowning now as he lowered his sword. I turned to look at him seriously now. His expression had grown cold, hard, angry.

"I've got a plan of my own… Although it never included you in the beginning…"

"It will now." I murmured. Sasuke glared at me.

"If you so much as look at the path that's off course, I will have no qualms about slaughtering you." He stated. I nodded, giving him a little two-fingered salute.

"I, Tsukuyomi Ruriko, give you my word that I will not veer off the path that you seek, that I will lead you to wherever you want to go. I'll even get rid of any obstacles that you can't be bothered with… Of course, I request my freedom from this place as soon as you leave as well… And as soon as your goals are realized, Uchiha, Sasuke, I will disappear from your life." I informed. Sasuke frowned.

"… There's something you're not telling me." He stated, raising an eyebrow in annoyance. I blinked, then glared at him.

"What the hell am I missing?"

"That boy that you're feeding. From the way you were acting protective of him, you were going to drag him along without telling me." Sasuke summed up with a glare. I blinked, then shrugged, averting my eyes.

"Okay, yea. I'm going to have to be honest with you. However, a pit stop in Konohagakure is all we need to do."

"Konohagakure? Hell no." Sasuke snapped. I raised an eyebrow.

"And why not? It's the best place for a child like him. I know some people there who would gladly accept Roku."

"… Be ready tonight," Sasuke said, ignoring me, "I'm going to grab the others before I go for you… Don't do anything stupid."

"Yes, little Uchiha."

"Don't call me that!"

After the confrontation, I fed Roku, watching him nibble on the bread and gulp down the juice. He had gained a little bit of weight since I started feeding him. I was glad too. I even gave him my old clothing so he could wipe the dirt and smudge from his face.

"I'm going to give you to some good friends of mine," I told him quietly, ignoring the other men, who seemed to continually yell at me, "They'll be very nice to you… I would keep you along, but Sasuke's a brat. He'll complain about you coming along." Roku blinked, then smiled a little, tilting his head at my stomach as soon as it growled. I laughed a little, more ashamed as I clasped my hand over my empty belly.

"Haha, ignore that." I replied. Roku pouted, then tore off a piece of bread and reached through the bars, shoving the bread into my mouth. I flailed a little at first, coughing before I swallowed. I sweat dropped as Roku beamed at me, holding out another piece of bread. I smiled, shaking my head and pushing his hand back.

"Not yet, Roku… I'm saving my appetite for someone." I replied. Roku's eyes glowed curiously. The old man, who always hung around Roku, snorted.

"Cannibal. Ya just like the kid. All ya kids no days, have no respect."

"Shut up, grandpa, before I tear out your tongue!" I barked before patting Roku on the head, standing up to go. Roku stopped at grabbed my hand, pulling it to his face. I stared at him, confused at first. He licked the tips of my fingers before smiling up at me and licking his lips. The old man chuckled.

"Ain't seen him do that in a long time…"

"What's it mean?" I asked, confused still as Roku licked my fingers again.

"He's thanking you. You know how a dog does that after you feed it? That's what he does. Used to do that to me when I could get him food, ya know, after his ma died… Course, now we don't get fed anymore. We're all scheduled to die sooner or later."

"Che," I glared, "Not on my watch. I promised I was going to save you all. I'm going to do it."

"Even if you're with that Uchiha kid? I wish ya luck. He's a stubborn asshole and he'll leap at any chance to kill us." The old man growled. I frowned, then I heard a creak and whipped around to face the metal doors. They were still closed, but without a doubt, someone had been listening in the conversation. I grimaced and headed out the door, but no one was there. I frowned and started down the hallway, still feeling pretty uneasy at whoever was listening in.

I decided it was nap time. Why? Well, duh. So I won't have to be bored, sitting around and waiting for Sasuke to go into action mode.

I finally found my way back to my room after about an hour of walking. Yea, this long and two things still shock me. A) No sign of Orochimaru and B) I still had troubles finding my room…

I walked into my room sleepily and flopped on the bed. In no time, I fell asleep. A first in this place. My sleep was pretty heavy since I had hardly slept at all since my first night here… It was too eerie.

I felt like I had slept only an hour before a loud explosion shook the building. I was awake in an instant, bolting upright. I jerked my head up as the ceiling crumbled a little. I scrambled out of the way as a huge shower of dirt rained down. I rolled across the floor and onto my feet, wincing. I heard clanging and some shouting, followed by more explosions. Shit, that was fast, Sasuke!

No, I wasn't going to give him a special title like they did to 'Lord Orochimaru'. Sasuke was still getting the 'little Uchiha' treatment from me and nothing else. Although, I knew that if I continued to test Sasuke, he'd end up killing me, so I think I would have to come up with a new nickname for him.

I could hear things going quieter outside and I bolted to the door, pulling it open. I grimaced when I did. Dirt had piled up in the hall as well as boulders and leftovers from failed earth jutsu. Dead bodies from sound ninja seemed to be scattered everywhere.

I hurriedly hopped through the opening over a corpse, bolting toward the cells. Yea, I know Sasuke said not to do anything stupid and going right after Roku and the old man was definitely not smart, but I had to do it.

Instinct made me bolt, jumping over bodies and rocks. I ran around the corner toward the metal doors to the hall, only to find two sound shinobi blocking my path. I smirked as one threw a kunai at me with a wire connect to it, as well as an explosive tag. I made a hand sign, flicking my finger out at the tag and lighting it right away with a spark of electricity.

I leapt back as the sound shinobi barked at me before the explosive tag went off, also blowing off the doors to the hallway in the process. I raced right in to see that one of the cells had been blown open, releasing a flow of prisoners, who screamed for joy.

I grabbed the bars to Roku's cell, watching him leap to his feet with the old man, who stared at me as if he couldn't believe I actually did this. I concentrated as much chakra as I could muster into my fists, gripping hard and jerking. The bars snapped, exploding and scorching as I threw them away. The rest of the cell mates poured out, releasing friends from others cells. Roku immediately ran right up to me and grabbed onto my leg, snuggling his face against my thigh and licking at my fingers. I smiled a little, then looked up at the old man.

"Think you can keep up?" I asked him with a smirk. The old man snorted, poking his chest with a thumb.

"Listen here, little girl! I may be old and useless, but I can keep up!" He insisted, then his eyes widened as he noticed something behind me.

"Get down!" He ordered. I ducked right away as a kunai flew past my head. I whipped around to see one of the prisoners standing a top a pile of rubble, his eyes glowing gold. The same gold as Roku's eyes.

"Where do you think you're going with that boy, hm, woman?" He demanded in a cold hard voice. I glared at him, then winced when I looked down at Roku. He was clawing at my thigh through the fishnet and silky short material, whimpering.

"Who the hell is he?" I demanded of the old man, who hobbled up beside me.

"That man is the man who forced Roku's mother to conceive."

"Wait, are you telling me this guy raped Roku's mother?" I demanded. The old man nodded. Roku's father sneered, revealing a few missing molars and sharpened teeth.

"I needed someone to carry on my bloodline. Roku's mother, to hell with her name, was just another woman that I could use. Roku is the first son that survived this long. The others all ate themselves away, quite literally." He seethed like a snake, stepping down onto the floor. I glared at him.

"Back up, asshole! I don't care what you were trying to do! Women aren't tools!"

"Oh? Well, leave it to a woman to say that… No, you're all used for one thing and one thing only… To create new life for the men to toy with. It's like a store on legs!" The man laughed maniacally, spreading his arms and laughing at the ceiling. I fumed and pushed Roku back against the old man. I bolted forward and rammed my fist into the guy's jaw, knocking him flying through the air and into a wall.

"Come on! Get up, tough guy! Show me how strong men are!" I yelled, clenching my fists and baring my own sharpened canines. The man looked shocked, holding his jaw before scrambling to his feet.

"You bitch! I'll fucking kill you!" The man screamed and aimed at my gut, but I dodged to the side and whipped around, kicking him in the back and knocking him skidding across the floor into some broken bars. I jerked my head up, pointing at the exit.

"Roku! Old man, get outta here! I'll take care of him!" I shouted, then looked up as the man got to his feet slowly, swaying before whipping around and running at me. I winced and tried to dodge to the side, but he swung his hand around, his long nails cutting through the fish net on my back and slicing into my skin. I gasped and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it.

Miyori's image flashed into my mind. I hurriedly twisted the man's arm behind his back and shoved him to the floor. I shoved his head into the floor, listening to him yell in pain. I jerked on his arm until I heard it pop, dislocating. The man roared with pain and swung around, knocking me back across the ground before I scrambled to my feet.

"You idiotic bitch," He spat blood on the ground, getting to his feet slowly, "Che… I'm going to eat you, bones and all."

"No kidding." I snarled and bolted to my feet, racing at him. I made a hand sign with one hand before swinging my foot up into his jaw, sending him into the air. I pointed two fingers up, a jagged bolt of electricity exploding at him as he crashed into the ceiling. I took a quick glance around as I leapt back to make sure the old man and Roku were gone.

The ceiling pretty much caved in by this point as I skidded back across the floor, frowning. I watched as the man scrambled out at me again. This was a big waste of time, I realized in irritation. And I was starving.

I caught the man's neck in my grasp before he could hit me. I dug my fingers as hard as I could, using some electricity to cause his head to pop off. Just like that. His head shot off and hit the ground with a wet plop, blood spurting everywhere.

I grabbed the handful of meat I had in my hand and crammed it into my mouth. Most of it I could easily swallow without even chewing, feeling skin slither down my throat with chunks of bloody flesh.

I bent down, smirking at the man as I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth before slamming it down, charging electricity to help me rip a hole in the man's gut. I stood up straight, taking some innards with my fist. Most people would find this scene revolting and so gross, they'd never look at me the same way.

However, I was surprised when I felt a familiar grip around my leg and I looked down to find Roku, beaming up at me and pointing at the flesh that was oozing from my fist. I grimaced at first, then blinked in shock when he bent down and trailed a finger through the puddle of blood, licking it off his finger before doing it again.

"Wow, another psycho." I murmured, then glanced up. No old man. I frowned and jerked Roku up by his shirt, making him yelp and stare at me.

"Where's the old man?" I demanded. Roku stared, then looked at his feet, shifting his shoe on the ground before pointing out the door. I frowned, dropped my meal and bolted out the door. A sound shinobi was lying dead on the ground, torn up and dead with the old man lying beside him, a sword through his chest, pinning him to the wall. I winced.

"Hey…" He looked up, smiling weakly at me.

"Little girl… I am glad that you helped Roku… And killed that dirty man… He's been a shame to his clan…" He shook his head. I frowned and bent down in front of him, Roku coming up beside me to peek over my shoulder with wide, curious eyes. The old man chuckled, then coughed up some blood.

"I won't last much longer…"

"Old man, don't say that." I whined, but I knew it was too late. The sword had pierced a vital point, giving him a couple minutes at best.

"Take Roku somewhere safe… His mother would have wanted it… Maybe he can grow up… And become much stronger… Smarter too…" He managed, his eyes slowly drooping. Roku stepped in front of me and peered at the old man with a confused expression before waving a bit shyly at him.

"Bah-ee, buh-ee…" Roku murmured, making me blink. The old man smiled a little and slipped away quietly, his eyes closing.

He was dead.

Roku then tilted his head back to look at me with a cheery smile. I felt kind of sad at this point. He didn't know what just happened. The guy who cared for him since birth had just died, gone for good. I wasn't going to tell him what happened though. I really didn't have the heart to say that the old man was never coming back.

I sighed and glanced around, finding some bed sheets that were strewn from the cell hall, throwing them over the old man after removing the sword. I turned to Roku, frowning.

"Let's finish off eating the bad man, all right?" I asked firmly. Roku beamed and nodded eagerly, grabbing my hand and pulling me back to his father's body. Roku pretty much ate until he was full. I let him have the best parts before I worked on devouring it.

It soon became just a heap of blood, bones, and some leftover flesh. I was chewing on something when I heard a whistle. I whipped around to find Sasuke step in with three other people.

The first was a very tall guy, orange hair and eyes. He wore the same clothes that the prisoners wore. The second guy was a bit shorter with silver hair and violet eyes, a huge sword strapped to his back. Kinda cute, but not the point. The next was a female with flaming hair and red eyes behind a pair of glasses, her face set in a stubborn pout.

The second tallest guy was the one who had whistled, the one with the sword and purple eyes.

"Damn, now that's a cool chick!" He declared.

"You dumbass! It's disgusting!" The girl yelled at him angrily.

"Shut up," Sasuke muttered, then looked at me carefully, "If you're finished, we should get going…" His voice trailed. I ate the last of what was in my hand and looked down at Roku, frowning as his blood smeared face and wiping it off with his shirt before turning to Sasuke, my arms over my chest.

"Sure. Let's get going." I stated, pulling on Roku's shirt to lead him. Sasuke led the way through the hideout, though, we had to stop at one point because Sasuke heard someone coming this way. We stayed silent, leaning on the wall. I held Roku against my leg, covering his mouth because he kept wanting to say his version of bye-bye like he did for the old man. We watched as a man made his appearance in the hallway, walking along side Kabuto, who had a cut across his face, his glasses smashed out in one lens.

Good, the fucker deserved it.

The other man, however, looked oddly familiar. His brown hair was spiked off in several directions, some of them coming down as his fringe, his eyes black and serious. He wore black fingerless gloves to his elbows with armor similar to the Anbu's. A thick dark gray turtleneck, sleeves to his shoulders, and a thick, lighter gray sleeveless jacket covered his torso. His pants matched his undershirt, touching his black sandals and a kunai pouch, but no headband.

"… Kuromura Kotaro, hm?" Kabuto was musing as they walked. Kotaro kept his eyes avert, his head tilted slightly as if the lower class criminal's voice annoyed him.

"You know what I want… Now that Orochimaru's gone, I'm sure there's no qualms about me taking the land… Unless you're stupid enough to get in my way." Kotaro's serious voice muttered. My eyes widened and instinct made me jump to attention.

That's how I knew his name. Kuromura Kotaro was a international criminal and very powerful, both economically and spiritually. Kotaro had taken control of several villages within the Land of Rivers, creating his own little army of subordinates. He was on the top ten list of most dangerous criminals.

Roku started squirming in my grip, trying to mumble bye-bye into my hands as he grasped at Kotaro, who walked right by us. I winced as Roku bit my hand, drawing blood. That was enough to keep him quiet as he licked my palm. I bit my lip in response and the heel of my boot clicked on the floor.

Kotaro stopped walking for a second, listening. Kabuto was talking, but stopped when Kotaro smacked him in the mouth. There was a deathly silence. I looked at Sasuke, who was right next to me, his hand in a hand sign. I frowned, then blinked when I saw a little snake slither from past Sasuke's feet toward Kotaro, who's eyes followed him flatly for a second.

Kotaro stepped forward and bent down, scooping up the snake both one hand, using his other to grab the snake's head. I flinched as he tore the snake in half, dropping it to the ground. Kabuto seemed to grimace a little to. I saw the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitch in an annoyed smirk before Kotaro turned, waving his hand a little.

"You were saying something about cash. Go on." He said as they walked. When out of hearing range, Karin squealed.

"Ugh, gross!" She whined.

"Who the hell was that asshole?" Suigetsu muttered. Sasuke glanced at me. I rolled my eyes, then glanced down the hall where Kotaro had vanished.

"Kuromura Kotaro. He's an international criminal, pretty powerful. He has some land and a lot of subordinates. He's one for loving torture too." I added under my breath.

"How the hell do you know that?" Suigetsu demanded, raising an eyebrow. I glared at him.

"Cuz I'm smart, duh." I stuck my tongue out. Suigetsu twitched and went to argue, but Sasuke held up a hand.

"Shut up… We have to be silent the rest of the way." Sasuke ordered. Suigetsu nodded, but grumbled under his breath. I pulled my hand away from Roku's mouth.

"Bah-ee, buh-ee!" Roku sang, clapping his hands and beaming. Sasuke glared at me. I flinched as Suigetsu and Karin snickered. Juugo, being the ever so silent, just cocked his head at Roku.

"Ssh," I told Roku, putting a finger to my lips, "You have to be quiet or Sasuke will beat you." I heard Suigetsu laugh out loud. Karin twitched. Sasuke glared at me. I just smiled innocently as Roku grabbed my arm, burying his face against me and giggling.

I think this was gonna be the best road trip ever!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I really didn't want to explain Sasuke's heroic save of everyone, yada-yada. XD You all know how he did it in the manga, so hopefully that's enough explanation. O3o; BTW. I probably should have mentioned this earlier. : / There may be some spoilers in here to the manga… So be careful and make sure you're Naruto-updated, although, I'm practically altering the Shippuden entirely. -3-; Anyway, yup! That's about it. Thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	23. Chapter 23

**OH MY GODS. I wrote this in like, two-three hours maybe? XD It's so random. TwT**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Three:** A Walking Black Hole! Face-To-Face Is Better!**

Two hours into the trip, we were heading for Konohagakure, and already I was becoming homicidal. Suigetsu and Karin have this thing where they argue about absolutely nothing in particular, the topics changing suddenly like a bipolar. As for Juugo, he was pretty nice and calm… Until he suddenly went into attack mode, but Sasuke seemed to handle him perfectly, being a show off that he was the only one that could control him.

As for Roku, he had only one word that he used the entire trip. Bye-bye. Of course, it was pronounced oddly, but he couldn't help it. At least he was learning because he kept studying everyone in the group. Oddly enough, he watched Juugo and Sasuke the most, which unnerved me. Juugo's nicer personality was a good example for a child, but Sasuke?

He was a terrible role model, but Roku seemed to stare at him a lot. For example…

We stopped in a heavily wooded area, mostly because Sasuke was being cheap and saying we would run out of money if we stayed somewhere now. So I just rested my head on the ground, watching the smoke curl through the air while Roku sat near my feet. I glanced at him, noticing that he was looking at something with those wide, gold eyes of his with a curious expression. I frowned and followed his gaze to Sasuke, who was sitting on a log, leaning on his knee and staring at the fire.

He didn't look mad, but he didn't look too happy either. He seemed more thoughtful, resting his head on his fist. He looked like he was falling asleep. I felt pretty sleepy just watching him so I rolled over and closed my eyes to sleep. I felt someone snuggling up to me and my eyes popped open. I looked down to find Roku pushing his way up under my arm, snuggling his face in the crook of my neck. I frowned a little, then felt someone's eyes on me and looked up at Sasuke, who was frowning at me.

"What?" I demanded.

"You're stupid… He's going to start thinking of you as his mother and then he'll never go away." Sasuke muttered. I sat up a little, glancing at Roku, but he was dead asleep. I jerked my head back at Sasuke, frowning.

"He knows I'm not his mother…"

"Ruriko, you fed him for two weeks and just taught him how to be a cannibal."

"Shut up, little Uchiha." Within seconds of finishing, Sasuke was on me, his hands on either side of my head, his face inches from mine in a deadly glare.

"If there's one thing I want to go through your head, it's that you listen to me, got I? I don't want to be dragged down by another big mouthed brat." He snapped down at me, his Sharingan glowing. I glared up at him, but even so, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. My dug my nails into the ground underneath me, gritting my teeth behind my lips. I wanted to punch him, but something about his cold, hard red eyes kept me frozen. Sasuke smirked now, as if he could tell what I was thinking.

"That's better… Every shinobi has to have someone that they follow… They have to have a leader. And right now, I'm yours. Or are you going to go back on your word?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I bit into my lip, then nodded slightly.

"Got it… I said I wouldn't break my word and I meant it." I stated. Sasuke frowned at me, then he spat a curse and jerked his hand up, leaning away. I blinked in surprise, then sat up to see that Roku had bitten his hand, glaring at him.

"Sasuke-" I started, but Sasuke glared at me and grabbed my throat quickly, making me wince.

"Control your pet, Ruriko."

"Or what?" I demanded, then flinched when he tightened his grip. I didn't say anything for a while and Roku was whining at Sasuke, saying something that neither of us could understand. He finally let go and rose to his feet, heading across the clearing after kicking dirt on the fire and lying down to sleep. As soon as the fire went out, Roku grabbed onto me. He surprised me by kissing me repeatedly on the cheek and snuggled his face close.

I felt a little bad. I couldn't keep disobeying Sasuke in front of Roku. He practically tried to eat Sasuke for just threatening me. It made me wonder if Roku was actually smarter than he let on, but I didn't really think about it. I was way too tired after walking so much…

We slept until the sun rose and Sasuke was kicking us all awake, of course, he just nudged me with his foot because Roku was still snuggled under my arm. I was surprised I woke up in the same position as when I fell asleep. Usually I sprawl and kick. I shrugged it off and rose to my feet, forcing Roku up since he seemed pretty stubborn. In fact, he didn't wake up, so I had to carry him! It was so unfair, but I did it without complaint, much to Sasuke's surprise, I bet.

He gave me a weird look, but led the rest of the way as we shot through the trees, Suigetsu and Karin arguing the whole damn way.

"You're such a fucking pervert, Suigetsu!"

"If it pisses you off so much, then why don't you just leave?"

"Because I'm not leaving Sasuke!"

"And you have the nerve to call me a pervert, you rapist!"

"FUCK OFF, YOU DICKHEAD!"

"Suck my dick, whore!"

"Ew, disgusting! I-"

"For gods' sakes, will you both shut up?" I barked in annoyance. Karin scowled and Suigetsu snorted. They stopped. For a couple minutes before starting back up again. By this time, Roku was awake, though, so some stress was relieved as he ran along side us.

I looked at Sasuke when Karin and Suigetsu's argument got a little physical, but he didn't even seem to be paying attention, his expression set in a thoughtful frown. I looked at my feet after a while, running at Sasuke's right and Juugo on the left. We left Suigetsu and Karin to argue behind us. Roku giggled every so often and seemed to be trying to trip me at one point, but I scooped him under my arm, muttering.

"That'll teach ya to bring kids!" Suigetsu called up to me with an obnoxious laugh. And to think I thought it was cute! Che!

"Yea! Leave your kids at home!" Karin booed. I twitched, a vein pounding in my forehead.

"If you both want to live long enough to see Sasuke kick ass, I suggest you shut it before I kick your asses and devour your bodies whole!" I yelled.

"Who're you threatening, girl?" Suigetsu barked.

"Why don't you say that to my face?" Karin challenged. I gritted my teeth and was oh so tempted to stop when Sasuke spoke up.

"We're going to rest stop at the little town up ahead, but don't wander around too much…" His voice trailed and I got what he meant. I rolled my eyes.

Eventually we came to a small little town that was placed at the center of a random, deep valley. They sold a lot of outrageous foods, like monkey and rats, but I didn't care. I was starving.

"I'm taking Roku out for some clothes and food," I told Sasuke when I peeked into his hotel room, "Just letting you know." Sasuke frowned and me, gave a short nod and went back to getting comfortable on his futon. I took Roku's hand and led him into town, my eyes scanning the fancy food shops and clothing stores. I pulled the leftover money I had in my pocket from before as well as some that Sasuke had ripped off Orochimaru.

It looked like enough to buy some clothes and food, thank the gods. Roku clung to me the entire time, looking a little scared of the groups of people that huddled in the streets. You were either all by yourself or with a gang of four in this town. I think Roku sensed something bad about it, but I reassured him as I took him into a clothing shop. I found a mirror and borrowed a brush to fix up his hair. He pulled out an inch long, red bead from a shelf, staring at it with wide eyes, then pointed at it.

"Bah-ee, buh-ee!" He told me eagerly. I smirked, then took the bead and some of hair near his temple, slipping it through and keeping it there. Roku blinked and looked at it out the corner of his eye before beaming up at me before taking my hand and trying to lick the tips of my fingers. I sighed, shaking my head and bending down in front of him.

"Roku, when you want to thank someone, you say thank you. Okay?" I asked. Roku tilted his head at me curiously, putting a finger to his lower lip thoughtfully. I smiled.

"Come on, try and say it. Th-an-kuh youu…" I tried. Roku beamed.

"Thuunk yaa."

"Eh, close enough. Come on, let's get you out of those dirty rags and into some good clothes." I stated.

"Thunk ya!" Roku beamed. I smirked and we went digging through the clothes. Unfortunately, to join Roku's lack of understanding with vocalization, he also did not know how to put on clothes. I sweat dropped when I checked on him in an aisle of pants, one pair pulled onto his right leg, another pair hanging off his head. I sighed.

"No, Roku. You put pants on your bottom. Here, let me show you." I walked up to him and bent down, taking the pants off him and watching him laugh at me. Silly kid had the nerve to laugh at me when he was the one who put those pants on wrong!

I managed to get a pair of beige pants on him, but they just wouldn't stay up and there wasn't a size smaller, so I found a white scarf and tied it in a bow on his right side, the ends of it touching the floor. I thought it was so cute, I laughed out loud, making Roku beam up at me. Next was the shirt. I managed to get him into tan, long-sleeved shirt that hung off his shoulders. It was slightly big, past his fingertips, but it worked. I bought him some bamboo sandals and he seemed pretty content with his new outfit, brushing his sleeves across his face and yelling 'thunk ya' and 'bah-ee, buh-ee'.

It was cute in a sense.

I eventually took Roku to a food stand where I ordered some kushiyaki, skewers of veggies and meats, and some udon noodles to go with. I ordered a sakurayu (pickled cherry blossom tea) for me and sweet tea for Roku. We sat at a table and Roku seemed very confused on how to eat the kushiyaki, so I sighed and held up one of the skewers.

"You don't eat the stick, whatever you do, don't eat it… You bite the food off them, then throw the sticks away, okay?" I showed him and he clapped his hands as if I had just done the best magic trick in the world. I smirked, then handed him a beef and cabbage skewer.

"Try it." I stated. Roku paused, looking a little nervous before taking it and sloppily eating the food off it. I nodded and clapped my hands, getting way too excited for this.

"Great! That was very good, Roku!"

"Thunk ya?" Roku tried. I nodded, beaming. Wow! He was pretty smart! A faster learner! I felt so proud of him and then I felt a screeching halt as something slammed into my mind. Am I an idiot? I'm acting like his mother already! Oh gods, sixteen and I'm already excited to have kids! NOOO!

Roku tilted his head at my flailing and I stopped, twitching and laughing meekly, rubbing the back of my head.

"Don't mind me! Just keep eating, silly. The noodles you twirl around your chopsticks, like this… Remember how I did that with daddy's tummy? Yes! Good job!" I cheered, then slammed my head into the table.

Oh gods. Someone kill me.

Roku continued to eat happily, picking up on drinking his tea perfectly. I had to order some more kushiyaki for myself because Roku practically wolfed it down. I smirked a little as he collected the skewers, using the string that was unraveling off his scarf to tie them like little key chains along the scarf. So cute!

Damn it! Not again!

I sighed, sweat dropping before perking up when Roku made a whining noise. He pointed to a picture that was advertised at the front of the store for Taiyaki, a fried fish-shaped cake filled with red bean paste. I raised an eyebrow. I had never heard of those things before, so I ended up ordering some.

I watched Roku's eyes filled up with excitement as he ate one, just one! He ate a bit more, having a stomach almost worse than mine! I only had one and I was about done! Damn, that kid could eat!

I felt like I had just been out-eaten.

I laughed a little at the thought. I ended up buying some kushi dango too, but I think Roku just wanted it for the skewers because he kept adding them like a chain around the right side of the scarf. I smirked, taking his hand as we finished our meal.

We headed down the street, back for the hotel, but Roku pulled on me several times to stop, flailing a lot and pointing at everything in sight. This included little plush toys he saw in the shop windows, little pinwheels, those yo-yos that you fling and they roll out before rolling back in. He even stopped to beg me for a freaking puppy!

I groaned, pulling on Roku's arm.

"Roku, come on! Sasuke's gonna get super pissed if I blow off all our money on puppies and toys, rather than… Uh, weapons, food, and other stuff that guys probably care more about!" I yelled. Roku whined, pulling back on my arm.

"Na!" He cried back, which I believe meant something along the lines of 'no'… Or 'kiss my ass', but I would rather stick with the first one better.

"Roku, I mean it! If you don't listen to me, I'll…! Well… Uh… I'll… Do something." I muttered. What the hell do parents do to their kids as punishments? I let go of Roku for a moment to think about this, letting him press up against the shop window with the puppy in it.

It was hard to remember my parents and if they ever punished us. I think Hioshi mentioned that if Akira ever got in an argument with him, our father would spank him. I twitched. There was no way I was gonna hurt Roku like that!

"Na! Na!" Now I was confused on what 'na' meant as Roku pointed frantically at the puppy. I glared.

"Not now, Roku!" I insisted, then sweat dropped. Then again, a good spanking didn't sound that bad right now. I smirked, then blinked when I turned back to Roku.

Well, where I had last left him because now he was gone! I yelped, looking around.

"Roku? Roku? Oh, for the love of the Kazekage! Roku!" I yelled angrily and went inside the store, glancing around at the puppies, almost getting distracted before I ran to the shop owner.

"Excuse me. I had a little boy with me earlier? About as tall as my leg, maybe a bit smaller, with brown hair, gold eyes? He had a lot of skewers looped onto a scarf around his waist?" I asked hopefully. The woman blinked, then squinted at me.

"Aren't you a little young to have a child?"

"NO! Lady, I need to find that kid! He's not mine!"

"You lost someone else's child?"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WOMAN! Tell me where my kid is!" I yelled at her, slamming my fists on the table, causing all the puppies to bark and the cats to meow, some monkeys shrieking. The woman flailed a little, pointing all over the place.

"I-I don't know! He was standing at the window! Maybe he ran into the alley!" She wailed, knocking off her glasses and toppling over to find them. I rolled my eyes and barreled out of the shop, slamming right into Suigetsu, who leapt back as if he had touched fire.

"I was not going in there." He stated defensively, preparing for an argument, but I scowled at him.

"I don't care, you idiot! I lost him!" I barked at him. He blinked.

"Lost who?"

"ROKU! The kid!"

"You lost your kid already?"

"He's not MY kid! Well, I mean, yea, I'm- Oh, never mind! Tell Sasuke I'll be back as soon as I find Roku!" I yelled, running toward the alley beside the shop. I rounded the corner, but saw nothing and continued running. My heart was practically pounding in my ears, blood rushing like crazy.

I even felt like crying, but I knew that would be no use! I had to find Roku!

Oh gods, the things that could happen to a five-year-old in a town this big! I mean, what if there were perverts out there? Or freaking murderers? Ack, no! I only had him for a little while!

… Argh! I didn't mean it like that, I meant- Never mind!

I bolted down several streets, but found nothing. I was getting desperate and started asking around. I finally came to a halt, panting as I bent over, putting my hands on my knees.

Damn, that kid could be out of the town by now! I found a bench and plopped down, throwing my head back and covering my face with my hands. I sighed, peering past them to stare at the sky, which had turned multiple purples, blues, and oranges. They were getting blurry too. I groaned and pulled my knees to my chest.

Maybe he found someone to take him in? Yea, that's got to be it… He's probably got a nice family now…

Oh gods, but what if he's hurt? He could be all by himself again. And that means I broke my promise to the old man! I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears that threatened to come up.

No, I can't cry! It won't help me at all! I need to keep looking! I'm not giving up!

I swung my feet down and stood up, dropping my hands and frowning after taking a bit deep breath and running off again, completely not sensing that someone was behind me.

I raced down the street again, this time yelling out loud and ignoring the dirty looks I was receiving. I didn't give a crap what anyone thought as long as I found Roku! I felt so bad for not buying him that puppy! Or the yo-yo! Or the plush toys and the pinwheels!

If I found him, I would blow off all the money for those things for him!

No, WHEN I found him!

I rounded a corner, skidding to a stop, glancing around quickly before I saw it. A flash of a white scarf. I whipped around and ran in that direction before I rounded the corner. I found Roku all right. He was holding a little plush puppy under his arm, beaming up at someone.

"Roku! Roku, you…!" My voice drifted as my eyes flicked up to meet a pair of tired-looking onyx ones. I completely stilled, unable to believe my eyes.

In a simple grayish shirt with a fishnet v-neck and a pair of matching pants with familiar silvery gray straps that held dark shoes to their feet. Dark, black hair hung in a ponytail over his shoulder, his headband completely missing. I felt like the whole world just slapped me across the face with one name that screamed in huge, neon letters.

Uchiha Itachi?

He looked down at me, much like everyone else, looking a bit curious. I tried to say something, anything, but it was all trapped in my throat. Roku tilted his head back to look up at me with wide, gold eyes, blinking, before beaming up at Itachi.

"Na! Ru-rai-ko!" He exclaimed, pointing at me. My ears finally stopped ringing and I got my voice back.

"I'm so sorry… Was he bothering you?" I asked, glancing behind him for a split second to see that he had been sitting down, drinking some kind of tea and eating onigiri. Itachi lifted his eyes slightly back to me.

"No… He kept asking about you… I take it your name is Ruriko?" He asked. I nodded, laughing a little nervously.

"Uh, yea… I could of sworn I was watching him…" I mumbled. Roku pouted.

"Na! Ru-rai-ko!" He protested, but I covered his mouth, holding him to me.

"Uh," I averted my eyes -why was it so hard to look at his eyes?- "Anyway, I'm really sorry. Uhm, if you want, I can give you money for a meal or something. Anything to make it up." Roku giggled behind my hand and gave my fingers a tug. I winced and let go on instinct.

"Na! Taaa-chi!" He exclaimed. Itachi looked at him and I almost expected him to frown, you know, like Sasuke did with Roku did something that was so obviously adorable. But no! He shocked me by smiling lightly, giving his head a little tilt before looking back up at me.

"Is he your little brother or something?" He asked. I shifted, smiling, still feeling the worried sensation nagging at me. I could have sworn I was forgetting something… But I couldn't place my finger on it.

"I'm glad you suggested that rather than what everyone else thought… Actually, no. I rescued him from… Uhm, somewhere." I almost told Itachi everything and I don't even know him!

… Except he was twenty-one, five foot seven and 128 pounds, his ninja registration number being 012110, blood type AB, date of birth June 9th. As well as one of the youngest murderers in the history of the world, having wiped out his entire clan single-handedly. I mentally kicked my ass for thinking this all while smiling at him so innocently.

MAN, I suck.

"Na! Na!" Roku whined, poking his belly and pouting up at us. I blinked, glancing down at him.

"Roku, it's only been two hours since we last ate." I muttered, but even as I said it, I could feel my stomach growl. I sweat dropped, blushing slightly. Roku grinned up at me, as if to say 'haha! Now we can trick him into having dinner with us!'

"You wouldn't mind if we say with you, would you?" My mouth asked before my mind could catch up. Itachi looked at me, almost suspiciously at first, or so I thought, before he shrugged and sat back down. I sighed a little and Roku hopped up on the bench beside me. I ordered him something small, just some more dango, which he gulfed down, keeping the skewers again. I sweat dropped, watching him and trying my best not to look at Itachi.

I can't believe I was getting like this around a criminal that I had done so much research on. I had no problem chatting it up with Deidara and Kisame, but nooo! Itachi just had to be the one to get me stumped! I looked the other way now, taking a sip of my tea.

"How old is he?" Itachi asked suddenly. I blinked and looked up. He was watching Roku play with his plush dog, an almost nostalgic look on his face. I bit my lip, trying to remember real face, then smiled.

"Five. I… Really don't know that much about him to be honest… He was sitting in a cell with some old man, who said he'd been taking care of him ever since Roku's mother died in child birth." I explained, forcing myself not to rant nor give out any information of the current situation I was in. Itachi watched Roku a while longer in silence before a sad smile faintly crossed his lips.

"I see…" He wasn't much of a talker, which I had heard from the files and experiences that Hioshi gave me. That made me feel kind of sad now. Itachi was probably remembering Sasuke as a little kid… And that reminded me of my own brother. I missed Hioshi so much right now. He'd know exactly what to do. He wasn't very social, but Hioshi had no problem being himself. Nor judging others, but he was still a very nice person once you got to know him.

"Uhm," I said, trying to push the thoughts away, "You never told me your name." Itachi looked up, studying my face. He looked pretty amused to say in the least. I suddenly felt something shoot up through my spine, making me straighten up.

Oh gods. Had my brothers, Osamu, Kin, the villages- Had they been putting up posters? Or going around and questioning everyone? Maybe Itachi already knew who I was! He probably knew I was working for the criminal organization and knew that I was totally thinking about him, even when I looked away and oh my gods, he probably-

No! What the hell am I thinking? Itachi's smart, yes. I know that, but he couldn't possibly know who I was. The villages were probably keeping my disappearance under lock and key, to prevent any other enemies from knowing my whereabouts or whatever…

"Itachi." Wow, he could say his name really nicely. What the hell? I heard Roku giggle from beside me and I wondered for a split second if my face was turning pink because I felt a little numb before I smiled.

"I see…"

"Na!" Roku pointed up. I frowned and looked up. Then it hit me.

SUNSET. SHIT. I jumped up, banging my knee on the table and yelping out loud, almost spilling all our tea and food. Roku laughed out loud and Itachi raised an eyebrow, glancing up at me. I sweat dropped.

"Uh, sorry about that! But, Roku and I really need to get home, or, er… To our hotel. Uhm, because… I promised this person that I'd be back by then and I don't want to get in trouble! I hope I'll see ya around! Come on, Roku! I'll buy you that yo-yo you wanted on the way if you promise never to scare me like that again." I added under my breath, picking Roku up unconsciously and carrying him off after setting some money down. I couldn't meet Itachi in the eye as I walked away. I only heard a murmured 'bye' as I left.

Coming to the last block, I laughed out loud, hugging Roku tightly.

"Oh my gods, he's so beautiful in real life, Roku! It's like a dream come true!" I cooed, stopping by a store to grab him a yo-yo, a pinwheel, and a plush monkey. Roku grinned at me, poking my cheek as I carried him back to the hotel.

"Na! Ru-rai-ko… Taaa-chi. Na?" He asked.

"Uh, if that's what I think it means, then no way!" I cried defensively, making Roku giggle wildly before clinging to my neck. I smiled and walked into the hotel, squeezing Roku tightly.

Best night since I've been kidnapped, I'll tell you that!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: And now you meet the fan girl inside me. T.T I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. D': I had to put him in already. LOL. I hope I got his character right. -3- It'd seem like he'd like kids, ya know? Cuz of his brother and stuff? Yea, never mind. :'D Thank you so much for reading, well, when OCs show up again, I hope they're in character, and I also hope the original characters are in character too! Please review, but… No Mary-sue attacks please. :C Those are no fun…**


	24. Chapter 24

**MORE CONFLICT. XD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Four: **Let's Talk Brothers… Another Deal.**

"Where've you been?" The was Sasuke's way of saying 'hello'. I glared at him as I let Roku run around the room I got for him and myself. I folded my arms over my chest.

"Sorry! Roku ran off and I had to chase him around the village." I muttered. Sasuke glared back at me.

"Keep an eye on your brat, Ruriko, or I won't have any problems tossing him on the street."

"Chya right. I think even you have a conscious." I muttered. Sasuke gritted his teeth, but he looked the other way, taking a deep breath, probably to calm himself before he put a hand on his hip.

"Forget it. We're leaving in the morning." He stated. My eyes went wide. What? But that meant that I wouldn't get to see Itachi again! Not that I was planning to go back to that little café and see if he showed up again. I averted my eyes for a split second, my lips puckered thoughtfully before I straightened up as professionally as possible.

"I was going to wait to tell you this," I started in a serious voice, making Sasuke's eyes lock on me, "But I think I found a lead on Akatsuki." Sasuke frowned.

"What do you mean?" He demanded. I frowned, putting my hands on my hips.

"Just what I said. I figured I already knew where Akatsuki was, but it seems like they're on the move faster than I anticipated. While I was shopping for Roku, I overheard some woman and her husband talking about some strangers in black cloaks with red clouds on them. Claimed they were moving south. However, I can't confirm if this is totally true or not. I think we should stay two nights here because there's obviously some information being kept in this town that I don't know about." I explained.

Sasuke looked like he was contemplating my words. I hoped to gods he just believed my fib or else I was screwed. Sure, there actually was a lead in this town. It's name was Uchiha Itachi, but I wasn't going to press him for information. I know, he's a criminal and probably deserves the death sentence, but for some reason, I kept lying through my teeth.

"And you found all this today?" Sasuke asked, studying me closely, his Sharingan piercing me. I tried to stay as calm as I could, clenching my fists to dig my nails into my palms.

"I know it's short notice and probably not totally true, but it's worth looking into. It's why I didn't want to tell you right away… Besides, I'm sure we could use some rest. You looked kind of tired yourself." I pointed out as soon as Sasuke stifled a yawn. His eye twitched in annoyance before he jerked his head the other way.

"Whatever… But you better not be wasting my time," He locked eyes with me again, making me flinch, "If I find out you're stalling for no reason, I'm going to cut your eyes out, no problem." I gritted my teeth, then smirked.

"All right. Deal. I gave you my word. I'm going to help you get to your goal. I'll help you to the end, then go free and leave you the hell alone." I replied as calmly as I could muster without fuming. Sasuke studied me again for a second, then turned on his heel and went to his room, slamming his sliding door shut. I rolled my eyes and went to my room, finding Roku curled up on the futon and sucking his thumb with his stuffed monkey and dog under his arm.

I frowned, closing the door quietly behind me with a quiet sigh. I had no idea what I was doing anymore. Why was I covering up the fact that I found Itachi? I should be telling Sasuke. This meant I could go free sooner than I thought! I could just tell Sasuke that Itachi was in town, looking like he was relaxed without his partner.

Instead, I'm lying. Leading Sasuke in the wrong direction. I looked at my feet, then back at Roku, who sighed softly in his sleep. I smiled a little at the sight of him, but it fell back into a frown. I had Roku to take care of too. Having him around, I was putting his life in danger with everything I did. I had to get Roku to Konohagakure and fast. If I didn't… He could die before we even get there.

And it'd be all my fault, no qualms. The magnitude of this mission was growing with everything that popped out of my mouth, whether negative or positive. It seemed like everything was falling apart. I smiled, though. I wish I had listened to Lee when he had given me the news.

_You are barred from every taking the Chuunin Exams again._

I should have let it go, stayed a Genin in the Sand, watching everyone else grow up. Here I am, though, probably getting myself into so much trouble, it could start battles left and right. I frowned. I was just putting everyone in danger. For a second, I thought about just getting rid of myself.

Maybe hiding away, running. Or just flat out killing myself.

Then I thought of Roku. He needed me, at least for now. And Sasuke. As much as I hated that narcissistic bastard, I gave him my word and I had to stick by it. Kazuya, Akira, and Hioshi. Nero too. I told them I'd return, alive. I had to do it. I had to think of a plan and fast. And try sticking with it this time.

All right. So I lied to Sasuke. Big deal… He won't find out. I'll do my thing tomorrow, see if Itachi's there. Maybe I can try getting a little bit of information from him. After that, we'll take off to Konohagakure. I'll drop off Roku and then trick Sasuke into heading through Sunagakure, so I can assure my brothers. Then comes the hard part…

How was I going to show Sasuke Akatsuki's whereabouts without showing myself to them? I told Sasuke I'd beat down obstacles. If Itachi saw me fighting for Sasuke, he'd know immediately that I was a freaking leech, trying to suck out information. I didn't want him to view me as such. I needed help, I knew, but I had to do it without dragging anyone in, getting them killed.

That was the last thing I wanted. For anyone, even Sasuke, to get killed. I took a deep breath, glancing at Roku before I moved across the room to have a peek at the village outside. The lights lit up the entire valley, the starry sky glowing with wisps of milky stars. I wish I could sit here and enjoy it, but I needed to keep thinking, no matter how much it hurt my brain.

I was just used to writing reports and shit, not coming up with the plans. That was Hioshi's job. I sat down under the window, watching Roku sleep.

I swear, if I ever get out of this mess, I am NOT going to mingle with criminals ever again.

I don't remember falling asleep that night, but I guess I did, because I woke up to Roku poking me in the face that morning. I groaned a little and pushed his hand away. Roku looked like he was going to cry, sniffling.

"Hm? What? What is it?" I asked sleepily, sitting up and rubbing my eye. Roku pointed frantically toward the door.

"Na! Ss-ahh. Saah!" He cried. I frowned. Sa? … Sasuke?

"Sasuke?" I tried. Roku nodded eagerly and stomped his foot, squeezing the hell outta his plush dog.

"Saaas-kayy. Na! Ru-rai-ko!"

"Uh… If you're trying to tell me that Sasuke hates me, I think he made that pretty clear."

"NAA!"

"All right, already! Uhh, Sasuke's awake?"

"Na! Saaas-kayy!" Roku turned around and stomped his feet again. I raised an eyebrow, rubbing at my eye sleepily as I watched Roku stomp his feet.

"Uh," I counted two stomps, "Two words?" Roku nodded and held up a finger.

"First word…" My voice trailed as Roku clapped his hands.

"Saaas-kayy!"

"Okay, first word is Sasuke. Got it." I stated, alert now. Roku held up two fingers.

"Second word…" He held his hands together, dropping his dog, then threw his hands apart.

"Uh… He died?"

"Na!"

"I was joking! Okay, uh, he… Exploded?"

"Ru-rai-ko!" Roku whined and stomped his foot twice, holding up two fingers, then pouted thoughtfully before snapping his fingers. He brought his arms together to cross over his chest, then flung them out.

"Whoosh!" He proclaimed. I sweat dropped.

"He flew away?"

"Naa!" Roku sighed, cocking his head in aggravation. I pursed my lips and went to yell at him for being terrible with his game before he cupped his hands together, then parted them and blew through them, making his fingers flutter a little.

"Poof." He tried. I frowned, then slammed my fist down into my palm.

"I got it! Sasuke's gone, right?" I asked. Roku beamed and clapped his hands as if to cheer me. I blinked.

"Wait, where'd he go?" I asked. Roku glared at me and snatched up my hand, biting down and making me yelp.

"Ow! Okay, fine! Never mind then." I muttered, rubbing my hand before getting to my feet and taking his hand.

"Come on, we're going into town. Hopefully Sasuke doesn't run into you know who." I sighed. Roku beamed.

"Taaa-chi?" He asked curiously. I nodded, smiling lightly before leading Roku out of the room. I passed Sasuke's empty room on the way as well as Suigetsu. Karin seemed to be gone as well, probably following Sasuke around. Juugo was still asleep, much to my surprise. He also had a few birds in his room, twittering softly.

Pretty amazing, if you compared it to his violent personality. Roku and I walked through the town. I was still thinking as we walked. Maybe it was best that we left early. Being around Itachi was dangerous. It'd be just my luck that Sasuke would catch me, or maybe Suigetsu, who'd blab to Sasuke just to watch me get my ass kicked.

"Na," Roku pointed up ahead to the café where we had met Itachi the night previous, "Na, Taaa-chi?"

"He's probably not there, Roku," I muttered, although, I didn't argue against the thought of going, "We'll just go for some lunch and then we have some work to do." Roku pouted.

"Na."

"… Yes."

"Na!"

"Yes! Life isn't all fun and games, damn it!" I snapped. Roku looked up at me, confused for a second, then looked the other way huffily. I sighed and took him to the café, ordering some dango and tea for us. I looked at the table, finishing my third stick of dango, setting the skewer on the table, only to have Roku pluck it back up. By now, the little skewers made a gently clinging sound when he walked or moved.

I leaned on my elbow on the table, watching him with a smile. Roku noticed me, then beamed.

"Ru-rai-ko." He stated. I laughed a little, then patted him on the head.

"You know, I think my brothers would like you a lot… Kazuya, Hioshi, and Akira. Especially Akira. I can't wait for you to meet them some day."

"Ah?" Roku tilted his head curiously. I smiled.

"I know you'd like Kazuya. He's kind of oblivious, like this Jounin from Konoha, Kotori, had the tendency to flirt with him and he had no idea. It was pretty funny. Even so, Kazuya's very sweet. He'd love to cook for you, it's one of his best hobbies and talents other than being clueless…" I mused. Roku giggled. I had a feeling he knew what I was saying, so I continued.

"And then there's Hioshi, my second oldest brother. He looks kind of mean and even acts like it sometimes. He's actually my boss too, back in Sunagakure. He speaks his mind, but I think that's what makes a lot of people hate him… He's kind of cocky too, but he's really a nice guy. I think you'd like him too." I explained. Roku smiled, leaning his head on his plush dog as he listened, making me smile some more.

"Then Akira… He's two years older than me, but he acts younger. He's… Really nice. A little queer sometimes, in both sense of the words, but I think he likes this girl from Konohagakure named Kasumi. He talked about her on the way to Konoha before I was kidnapped… I know you'd love Akira. He likes kids, even though he'll act like he doesn't… I think he wants kids of his own when he grows up! But I think he's kind of scared too…" My voice drifted at Roku gave me a curious look. I felt a little nostalgic, kind of sad now.

"See, Akira did something bad when he was little… He got really scared because of something he heard our parents talking about… So he killed them. Remember how we killed your daddy?" I asked. Roku nodded. I grimaced. Wow, he was smart.

"Kind of like that… Akira was really scared, though. It's the only reason he did it. I know he feels so bad about it. He asked me if I hated him. I told him no because it's true. Hioshi, Kazuya, and I don't hate Akira for it. Some people do bad things when they're scared or mad, Roku, but you have to forgive and forget other peoples mistakes. Do you understand?" I asked. Roku blinked, then nodded slowly, tilting his head slightly.

"Ru-raaai-ko, muh-stick?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yea. I made a mistake. I ran into a mission, thinking I could do it, but I couldn't. Even with help from my friends… Oh gods, my friends, Roku, you'll love them. There's Osamu, Kishi, Eiji. Koyuki, Kasumi, Kai. Sora, Daisuke, Mai. Ryuuko, Ayaka, and Honoka. There's also Kin too. Some sensei, Mayu and Kotori and Asuma. Roku, I really want you to meet them all. I could sit here all day and tell you how each one effected me… Some quite physically." I muttered, forcing a smile as I bent back the shoulder that Osamu had permanently damaged.

"Osamu," I said, looking at Roku, who perked up, "I'm going to fight him. When you learn to talk, you tell him that. Tell him I'm going to kick his butt when we meet again… I'm going to get stronger, mind and body, so I can fight him. You be nice to him, though… He's kind of a jerk and a total pervert, but he's a good guy… After you beat him up a little and go through hell."

Roku giggled. I smiled and leaned in, pulling him into a tight hug. He snuggled against me, humming contently.

"Ne, Roku," I murmured, "I hope you'll be happy in Konoha… There's a lot of nice people there. More than there are in Sunagakure… It's a nice village, believe me, but everyone in Suna seem to be stricter, less fun… You better have fun in Konoha, hear me?"

"Ya." Roku beamed. I laughed.

"You're so freaking cute. I wonder how everyone will react to you! Oh god," I thought suddenly, wincing, "If Osamu makes one freaking comment about this, I'm going to kill him."

"Na?" Roku asked curiously. I grinned.

"Roku, new word time! When you meet Osamu, be sure to call him a jackass, okay?"

"Eh?"

"It's pronounced J-ACK-ASS. Try it." I stated. Roku blinked thoughtfully, giving me a stare that said 'you shouldn't be teaching me this! But oh well'.

"Jahh-ck… Auh-ss?"

"Good enough. And tell Osamu that I thought you that." I grinned. Roku clapped his hands happily.

"Jah-ck auh-ss!" He proclaimed. I know, I know. How could I teach a five-year-old to call his elder a jackass? Because. Osamu deserved to know that I was thinking about him… About kicking his ass, that is.

"Are you going to teach your kids that?" A voice asked. I twitched and blinked, jerking my head up as Roku leapt up on the seat.

"Taa-chi! Taachi!" Roku cried, beaming as Itachi walked over with some tea and a rice ball. I sweat dropped, laughing a little as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Ahaaaa… It's more sentimental than you think, really." I tried to assure, feeling that same hot feeling in my face, which I mentally smacked myself for. Itachi sat down, giving Roku one of his faint smiles before looking at me.

"So you like that guy you were talking about?"

"Huh…? No way! I hate 'im! I'm going to smash his face in when I see him!" I declared, then hit my elbows on the table, huffing. Roku grinned at me, then plopped back down in his seat, kicking his legs back and forth.

"Taaa-chi! Ne, fa Saaas-" I clamped a hand over Roku's mouth, making him yelp a little. Itachi raised an eyebrow. If he wasn't suspicious before, he was now.

"Ruriko, right?" Itachi asked after a while. I dropped my hand, ignoring how Roku had bitten it. I averted my eyes.

"Uh, yea?"

"Sounds familiar…"

"Uhm… How?" I asked weakly, glancing up. Itachi's onyx eyes had taken on a very amused, suspicious look to them. I could almost see the red of Sharingan. He seemed to be thinking hard about something before shaking his head slightly and looking down at his food. Roku pouted at me, jabbing me in the ribs with a finger.

"Ne," He whispered, "Na Saaas-kayy?"

"No," I muttered, "Sssh." Roku huffed and picked up his puppy, putting in the table, making it bark a little. I sighed, looking away. Then I saw it. A flash of purple. I almost mistook it for Sasuke's uniform, which made my heart slam into my throat, but I then recognized it as Suigetsu's.

"Excuse me for a second." I told Itachi and bolted to my feet, walking over to where I had seen it, just outside the back of the shop. As soon as I stepped out, I felt a strong grip grab me and jerk me around, slamming me into a wooden post. I winced and found myself glaring at Suigetsu, who was smirking cockily at me.

"Mingling with the enemy, eh?" He asked. I flinched.

"Suigetsu-"

"I wonder what Sasuke would think about this."

"Don't you dare…! I'll dump you in a cup and drink you if you do!" I snapped. Suigetsu puckered his lips at the thought, narrowing his eyes.

"Ewww. Nah, I wouldn't tell Sasuke." He shrugged, letting go of me to fold his arms over his chest. I glared at him, putting my hands on my hips.

"What's the catch?" I demanded. Suigetsu smirked.

"Nothing much… You just have to leave the kid here." He stated. I stared at him, dropping my arms limply. What? I gritted my teeth.

"You're a coldhearted asshole."

"Not everyone likes kids," Suigetsu retorted, "So just dump him by tonight and there'll be no problems. You can flirt with the enemy and Sasuke won't ever have to know, got it?" He flicked his finger under my chin and I smacked it away, glaring at him.

"You don't really think I'd get rid of that kid…! I promised the old man-"

"You ALSO promised to serve Sasuke, didn't you?" Suigetsu challenged, cocking a brow as he tilted his head with a nasty, sharp-toothed smirk. I flinched, then dug my nails through the fishnet on my legs.

"I… But Sasuke… Roku's just a kid!" I cried. Suigetsu laughed.

"So what? Think of it this way… At least there are some nice people in this town, eh?" He asked, gesturing down the street where a pair of nasty looking gangs were hovering. I went to smack him, but he caught my wrist and slammed it against the post at my side. I winced and found myself staring at Suigetsu's mouth full of dangerous teeth.

"I'm not scared of you like the others are. You can't eat me." He taunted. I growled, clenching my teeth to refrain from spitting incoherent curses at him. He kept smirking at me, waiting for me to agree to his terms.

"Fine." I stated. Suigetsu beamed, letting go of me and backing up.

"That's a good girl. See? Not so hard to give up a kid." He replied. I glared at him.

"I'm not going to answer that. Just leave me alone."

"Done." Suigetsu turned and headed down the street, folding his hands behind his head confidently, chuckling to himself. I swung my fist back into the wooden post angrily, knocking a whole chunk out. I was so mad I was shaking. I wanted to hit something else and break it to pieces! I dug my nails into my palms, trying to calm down. If I showed up again, Roku and Itachi would be wondering what happened.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Now I have more troubles slapping me across the face…

"What do I do?" I groaned, looking up at the sky with a grim expression. I couldn't throw Roku out here, not with some of the shady characters here… I slid down, sitting as I rested my head on my knees. I had to think of something else now. Right when I had a solid plan, he had to come and tear it apart.

I was seriously considering catching Suigetsu in a jar and drinking him, but Sasuke would get pissed off if I attacked Suigetsu. It was obvious that I was the least trusted of the group and if I hurt one of the other members in a non-comical manner, I was toast.

I wasn't getting rid of Roku, no matter what. I rose to my feet again, holding the side of my head as I turned to head back to the table. I yelped when I bumped into Itachi, who was giving me a tired sort of look.

"Sorry. Did I scare you?" He asked. I averted my eyes.

"Uh… Kind of."

"You look pale."

"Uhm… It's nothing. I just ran into an old friend." I muttered. He nodded, then glanced back at Roku, who had fallen asleep at the table comfortably, smiling faintly as he slept.

"He's asleep?" I asked, blinking. Itachi looked back at me.

"Yea…"

"Look, uhm… Itachi, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but…"

"You're going to ask about Akatsuki." Itachi stated flatly. I jerked my head up, blinking in shock. Itachi let his eyes drift the other way to avoid looking at me.

"Tsukuyomi Ruriko. I recognize your picture from your file."

"M-My file?" I managed. Itachi looked back at me, completely emotionless.

"I know who you are."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: A cliché cliffhanger. I know. xD I couldn't help myself. T.T I don't have much else to say for this chapter… Hmm… Although, don't worry. More OCs coming up when Ruriko gets her ass to Konoha… lol. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	25. Chapter 25

**This one is so short… TwT But it had to be…**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Five: **You Dug Your Own Grave. Threatening The Betrayer!**

"You what?" I asked, trying to stay calm, but he already knew. I shouldn't be shocked. I'd expect nothing less from the intelligent Uchiha Itachi.

"Akatsuki keeps tabs on researchers like you. As soon as I saw you, I recognized you… Even if the picture is a year old. I also heard that you had been recently kidnapped. Deidara and Kisame were there when the shop exploded in Tanzaku town." Itachi explained simply, his voice quiet and serious. I bit my lip.

"So… If you knew, why didn't you say anything until now?" I asked. Itachi shrugged lightly, tilting his head slightly to look back at Roku, who was still soundly asleep before he looked back at me.

"You're also here with Sasuke." He stated. I blinked, then gritted my teeth.

"You make it sound like I like being around your baby brother. If anything, I rather be back home."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I promised your brother that I'd help him find Akatsuki… Well, technically reach his goal, but…"

"But you didn't mention to Sasuke that you had run into me here."

"… Exactly…"

"Why not?" Itachi pressed, his eyes practically glowing. I shifted from foot to foot. Why didn't I? Because. Everyone always talked about how dangerous, how evil, and how cruel Itachi was, but I saw nothing like that when I was around him. Sure, I hadn't personally known him for more than twenty-four hours, but I didn't see anything that yelled I AM A MURDERER on him.

"Because." I stated.

"That's not an answer."

"Is to! Look, I have enough problems to deal with right now. I have to get Roku to Konoha so he doesn't die, Suigetsu wants me to get rid of him or else he'll tell Sasuke that I've spoken to you without telling him, I promised my brothers that I'd come back to our village alive, and I still have to kick my friend's ass!"

"Sounds like a full schedule," Itachi said quietly, then averted his eyes again, "Suigetsu is going to tell Sasuke anyway." I blinked.

"What?" I demanded. Itachi frowned.

"I haven't even known you for very long, but I have a feeling you weren't going to get rid of Roku anyway… Your heart is too big for that." He said. I grimaced.

"And sometimes I wish I didn't have one. If he's going to tell Sasuke, I have to hurry up and find Sasuke before Suigetsu does."

"And if Suigetsu gets to him first?"

"Sasuke's going to probably kick me down so badly, I'll be limping to Konoha." I muttered.

"You say that so casually."

"I promised Sasuke to help him. As much as I wish I hadn't of done it, I kind of have to. I have this thing about keeping my word."

"How are you going to help Roku, help Sasuke, and get back to your brothers?"

"Good question. Any ideas?" I tried, but Itachi sighed.

"You dug your own grave."

"I know," I murmured, "This probably wouldn't of happened if I had taken Nero's advice… He's this guy that keeps telling me he likes me. He yelled at the Kazekage for giving me my mission. I told him I would come back too… Ugh, another promise."

"You seem to speak before you think."

"I know… Look, Itachi," I began, "I'm not going to lie and I wish I could, but I'm just going to tell you in case Sasuke actually does kill me or something like that. The first time I saw you, you looked nothing like a murderer. You didn't seem like what your bio told me nor any of the rumors I heard. The reason I didn't say anything to Sasuke is because I'm trying to come up with something that won't involve anyone getting killed. Yea, it might interfere with other plans, but at this point, I couldn't care less about anyone else's plans. Sorry about babbling so much. I really hope we can meet again on better terms. Goodbye." I brushed past him, grabbing up Roku in my arms and walking away as fast as I could. Itachi hadn't said a thing, but I knew he was listening because his eyes flickered with some kind of emotion that I couldn't begin to guess.

I tried to be calm about this. Let's see. Time to assess the situation:

Okay, so I just basically told Itachi that I liked him after a few hours.

I told him just about everything, save for the whole super hero Sasuke part, which I did NOT intend on filling anyone in about.

Suigetsu is an asshole.

Sasuke's an asshole.

Sasuke's the asshole who's going to kick me through the dirt.

Well, that didn't sound too bad, now did it? I could just hear the sarcasm in my head as I walked into the hotel, setting Roku down after nudging him awake. Roku yawned sleepily, then blinked as he looked around confused, lifting his gold eyes to me.

"Na Taa-chi?" He asked. I frowned.

"No more Itachi, Roku… I think he hates me right now. You have to stay here, okay? If you stay here, I'll get you a puppy, okay?" I asked. Roku beamed and nodded, sitting down in the lobby. I cautiously moved up the stairs, listening to the eerie creaking of the stairs as I moved.

I stopped, glancing down the hall. No one was there, so I walked quietly past my room, then Juugo's. Nothing happened. I walked by Karin's.

Nothing.

I walked by Suigetsu's.

Still nothing.

I walked-

_SCREEECH-CRUNCH-CRASH!_

I leapt back, stumbling as the wall was blown off as well as the door through the hall and into the next wall. I winced, sitting up as Sasuke stepped out, onto the pile of rubble in the hall. He looked right at me, glaring.

"I thought that for a second there, you'd recognize a criminal when you saw one, Miss Criminal Information… Maybe tell me about it."

"I take it you've talked to Suigetsu lately?" I asked with a grimace. Sasuke's grip tightened around his blade and he swung it out. I barely had time to duck as I threw myself on my back on the floor. Sasuke clenched his fists and I saw a high concentration of chakra crackle in the air around him. I flipped backwards onto my feet and pushed back, skidding to avoid the charge of electricity that shot through the air.

"I'm going to kill you," Sasuke muttered, "And then I'm going to kill that kid. Then Itachi. Then Akatsuki. Then Konohagakure." I glared at him.

"Fuck you!" I yelled and made quick hand signs, thrusting my hand out as a bolt of lightening sprung forward. Sasuke swung his hand up and caught the bolt in mid hair with his bare hand, making me flinch.

"Lightening against Lightening…. And I have more control." He stated and swung the jutsu right into the wall, blasting it to pieces. I couldn't hit him from this far away. If I did, he'd just catch it. He used the same elements I did, so ninjutsu was out of the question. As for close range, he'd probably try electrocuting me again with that jutsu of his. If he's an Uchiha, he's bound to be good with Genjutsu, so there goes that idea…

Good, I suck at Genjutsu anyway. Well, except for Akira's jutsu. He had taught me it, but there was no way I was using THAT genjutsu! If I used that, I'd be out of chakra in a split second. I wouldn't even be able to grab Roku and run.

I didn't have much time to ponder this because Sasuke pushed off the ground and shot at me. I yelped and ducked out of the way when he made a slash at me. I managed to duck just in time as he skidded past me before whipping around and making a hand sign.

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!"

Shit. I kicked up a piece of rubble to block the flames that roared at me, shoving me back along my boots. I threw the rock away as the fire subsided, Sasuke bursting through the smoke at me. I gasped and ducked a slash, rolling across the floor past him and scrambling to my feet. I had to do the first thing that came to my mind. I whipped around to kick at Sasuke, but he caught my leg and threw me into a wall.

I gasped, blood flying out my mouth. I slid to the floor, panting. I looked up just in time to duck and cover my head as Sasuke swung his foot at me, letting it go into a wall. I scrambled to my feet, ducking and dodging everything he threw at me.

"What's wrong, huh? You were talking so big earlier! Don't tell me you're scared!" Sasuke barked and started up another fire jutsu. I ducked and went down the stairs as the fire slammed into the wall behind me. I landed at the bottom, slightly bruised. I coughed a little, bolting to my feet. Roku was still sitting in the lobby and jerked his head up with wide eyes.

"Na?"

"Roku, run!"

"Na!"

"Roku, you get your fucking ass out of here right now! Run somewhere and hide, got it?" I yelled at the top of my longs. From here, I could see Roku's eyes well up with big fat tears. He was moving toward me.

"Roku, no! I said go!" I shouted, then gasped, ducking just in time to avoid a slash from Sasuke's sword. Roku yelped and jumped back at the sight of a very pissed off Sasuke. I whipped around, but he freaking backhanded me across the face, knocking me flying backwards and skidding across the floor on my back. I gasped and rolled over, holding my cheek. I felt it swelling up already, blood forming in my mouth, making me spit.

I felt Sasuke grab a hold of my ponytail, jerking my head up. I gasped and felt the blade of his sword touch my throat. My eyes flashed. This was it? I was going to die already?

No. Because Roku wasn't going to have any of this.

He jumped at Sasuke right away and bit down on his arm. Sasuke barked a curse and let go of me, shoving me to the floor. I winced, spat out some more blood, and whipped around, watching Roku bit down on Sasuke's arm angrily.

Sasuke swung his arm back, knocking Roku off and into a wall. Roku gasped a little and his eyes fluttered closed as he slumped to the ground. Horror shot through me as I prayed he wasn't dead. I immediately lunged forward, grabbing Sasuke's legs out from under him. He grabbed the front of my shirt, dragging me down with him. Being as this hotel had a basement floor, we crashed right through the wooden floor into the basement, which was conveniently full of glass bottles and dishes from the dining area.

I winced, struggling to get to my feet. I looked up in time for Sasuke to punch me hard in the jaw, knocking me across the room and slamming into a rocky wall. Pain exploded through my weak shoulder as well as the rest of my body as I hit the floor. I managed to get to my feet, trying to duck and dodge the rest of Sasuke's attacks.

"Damn it," I yelled, "Sasuke, stop! Go ahead and kill Itachi while you have the chance, you asshole! You're wasting your time with me!" Sasuke missed a punch at my head as I jerked to the side, only to jerk to the other side when he tried to punch me there.

"You think I'm stupid? You came here, knowing that Suigetsu had told me, so you probably already told Itachi! He's probably half way across the country now, thanks to you! I'm regretting not killing you earlier!"

"Asshole, then go after him!"

"And what direction would he have gone in?"

"North!" I screamed, then gasped as Sasuke caught my shoulders, slamming me into the wall. His Sharingan pierced right through me, seeping with hatred and rage. His nails were digging into my skin, enough to draw blood that leaked down my arms.

"You're lying." He spat.

"No! I'm not lying! Why would I lie when I'm faced with death? I'm a fucking coward! Itachi mentioned something about going north, I swear to the gods!" I yelled in his face, then winced as my head began to throb with pain. Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"What makes you think I'd ever believe you after you deceived me once?" He demanded.

"Why do you think I'm only an observer? I don't like combat, sure I get some meal out of it, but if I'm faced with death, why would I lie?"

"You are coward." Sasuke spat at me. I glared at him.

"If you were faced with death, you'd be frantic to avoid it."

"Shut up…"

"Now let go of me! Roku's upstairs and he's hurt! Because of you, asshole!"

"I said shut up! I'm not letting you go that easily! You think I'm going to keep traveling, knowing that you could pull another stunt like that?"

"I won't! If this is going to happen every time I do something stupid, then to hell with trying to trick you!"

"If you do ANYTHING… Again, I won't kill you. I'll kill the kid." Sasuke stated, his Sharingan glowing bright red. I stared at him, completely frozen.

"We're taking him with us. If you betray me again, I'll not hesitate to kill him right in front of you. I'll dump you somewhere without your limbs, where you'll suffer. You hear me?" Sasuke seethed. I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists, throwing his arms off me.

"I understand…" I managed. Sasuke stepped away from me, his eyes cold and hard.

"You're about as annoying as he was…" He muttered and turned on his heel. I blinked, frowning curiously, but managed to follow behind Sasuke. Pain shot up my legs, but I forced myself to follow him quietly without argument.

I was really starting to loathe this brat so much… It's a wonder I don't just jump him right now and slaughter him, tear him up bit by bit and devour his organs slowly.

Once up stairs, I was by Roku in a flash. I bent down to him, turning him over. He looked fine, other than a bruise on his cheek. I shook him a little and his eyes peeked open. He mumbled something, then reached up and touched my face.

"Naaa… Ru-rai-ko…"

"I'm so sorry, Roku…"

"Ne," He groaned, turning his head to look across the room at Sasuke, who was informing Suigetsu and the rest of the team of our mission, "Row-kuu… Un kill Saaas-kayy…" I blinked, then smiled faintly. _He wants to kill Sasuke._

"You and me both, Roku…. But right now, we need to listen very carefully to Sasuke, okay? You have to be very good or Sasuke will get mad and we don't want that, right?" I asked. Roku crinkled his nose, then nodded a little, reaching up and hugging me around the neck. I smiled and hugged him back, pulling him up into my arms.

We left the hotel in a hurry, heading down the street for the exit of the village. I frowned to myself. Shit… What do I do now? Sasuke was bound to be keeping a closer eye on me, and Roku for that matter… And I didn't even know if Itachi was going north or not!

I mean, come on! I was faced with death and Roku was hurt! I had to come up with some kind of lie! I remembered what Itachi had told me earlier that day.

_You dug your own grave._

Oh, Itachi, you have no fucking idea.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: ATTENTION. Hi. xD The next chapter will be in someone else's POV since I'm way too lazy to type up a chapter of Ruriko's adventure to the north. :/ That and I feel like showing more OCs! So, yup. That's my excuse, just warning you ahead of time. Anyway, thanks for reading and your reviews are very much appreciated!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry that the first part is sort of… Not as good. O3o I got attacked with an awesome idea after I took a break from writing due to cramped hands. xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**A/N: First part is Akira's POV. -3-**

****

Chapter Twenty-Six: **Betrayals Left and Right! Gotta Come Up with a Plan!**

The last time I saw Ruriko, she looked so happy to be back in Konoha and see her friends… Her face was still stuck in my mind as I stood in the corner of the Hokage's office, listening to Kazuya pleading with the Hokage to send Anbu Black Ops to find Ruriko.

Beside me, Nero was practically shattered. He hadn't slept at all since she left, so his eyelids hung sleepily over his dull, aqua green eyes. He looked a little pale too. I think he slowed down his eating habits too because he looked a bit thinner. His arms were folded tightly over his chest as he leaned on the wall, a cigarette sticking out of this mouth.

It was the second one in an hour that he had put in his mouth. I gritted my teeth and jerked my head up, stomping my foot.

"Lady Tsunade, you said it yourself that Ruriko was an important asset to researching criminals. We can't give up on her now!" I protested, coming forward a step. Tsunade glared at me.

"For all we know, they could have extracted her information and killed her. You have to look at all the assumptions, Akira." She snapped.

"If I know Ruriko, I know she'd never open her big mouth to criminals!" I argued.

"Akira's right," Kazuya agreed firmly, "You have to have confidence in Ruriko. She takes her job seriously. If Hioshi were here, he'd tell you himself as Ruriko's boss!"

"And where is this Hioshi?" Tsunade demanded. I grimaced and shoved my hands into the pockets of my beige coat, looking the other way.

"Hioshi's agoraphobic. He refuses to leave our home." I muttered. Tsunade glared at Kazuya for this, who flinched.

"Lady Tsunade, please." He tried again. More yelling and arguing. I looked at Nero again.

"Nero… We shouldn't be here… Let's go get something to eat-"

"Not hungry." He snapped, then looked at his feet. I sighed, looking down at my boots. For some reason, I remembered Ruriko telling me that they were girly and it made me smile faintly. I missed her humor… I flinched when Nero pushed off the wall.

"I'm going into town."

"I'm going with you." I stated. He didn't argue or anything, just walked right out the door with me at his heels. His boots clomped on the floor in the hallway as he walked in silence, sucking on his cigarette and flicking the ash to the floor. I sighed.

"Nero, we can't sulk. We have to go looking for Ruriko. If we don't…" I didn't want to finish that sentence. Nero lifted his eyes, his expression stricken at the thought. Wrong words to say.

"Nero, if Lady Tsunade won't let us do anything nor Lord Gaara. We need to do something ourselves. We need to send out teams ourselves. We both may not have that much power. Me, just a medical Jounin and you just a sensei-in-training, but if you really loved Ruriko… You would go looking for her."

"… You're right," Nero realized, stopping to smack himself in the forehead, "All this time, I was just having a pity party and getting mad… Telling myself to kill Osamu and Kin for not doing anything…"

"It's not their faults. They had no way to get in there in time from their positions. In fact, I think Osamu and Kin should be one of the ones to join us."

"All right, whatever…. But we have to do this without getting caught by the Hokage or the Kazekage." Nero muttered as we continued walking now. I nodded.

"Try and convince Koyuki's team. Daisuke's too. I'll talk to Osamu's team and Ayaka's… Hopefully I can find Kin as well and inform him of the plan. If you can't get the entire team, it's fine, but we need as many as we can get." I explained.

"On it." As soon as we stepped outside, Nero flicked his cigarette down, but spat on it before shooting off. From the looks of it, he was very angry, but I didn't bother to try and calm him down. Instead, I took off running down the street to find Osamu first.

I pushed off the ground and shot into the air, landing on a rooftop. I hopped along them, peeking over the edges in order to find Osamu faster. However, I spotted Kin first. He was walking down the street, hands in his pockets with a grim expression, a senbon poking past his lips. I did a flip and hopped off the roof, landing on the ground in front of Kin, making him jump back with a wince.

"Akira? What-"

"Kin, I need your help. It's very, very important." I stated. Kin frowned, studying my face.

"It's about Ruriko, isn't it?" He asked. I nodded. Kin sighed, then agreed to listen to what I had to say. I saw him grimace once, nod twice, then finally look away, plucking the senbon out of his mouth to sigh again. He looked at the ground quietly, then lifted his eyes again.

"When do we go?" He asked. I grinned. Perfect. We shot off to find Osamu's team as well as Ayaka's. I just hoped Nero was having good luck convincing everyone. Doing this was probably putting them at risk of being arrested or just plain screamed at by the Hokage… Which I really rather not have. That's why this mission was top secret, as far as I knew…

**Hioshi's POV**

I needed to get out of here. Ever since Ruriko's disappearance, files and information were coming in late. I was stressed out, digging my nails into the arm of my chair before I stood up. Sitting around here doing nothing was aggravating me. I had to leave, go to Konohagakure, talk to Lady Tsunade. I had to have Ruriko back or else my information wouldn't reach its owner in time.

I turned and headed for the door, only to have it open before I could catch it. I leapt back, surprised at who stepped in.

"Kuromura Kotaro." I managed. Kotaro stepped into the room with authority, his black sandals barely making a sound as he stepped in. Behind him, three others appeared.

The first subordinate, a dark-gray haired, smoky eyed shinobi, molded out of the shadows of the room, stepping forward to reveal that he wore a black cloak that touched the ground, the hood of the cloak cringed with gray fluff and a buckle holding the front shut, hiding away his black jumpsuit. His gloves, save for covering his two middle fingers, were torn at the index fingers to reveal long, black painted nails.

The next subordinate was a girl, the same age as the first subordinate. Her neon orange hair was tied back in a long ponytail with fishnet. A red shirt with no sleeves, gold straps leading to dog collar around her neck, adorned her top while the left leg of her shorts red, the right as gold as her tall boots with bandages tied into a knot at her knees. She had bandages wrapped around her waist, containing a variety of objects. She had stepped into the room after Kotaro, a cruel smirk spread across her face, her deep purple eyes taunting.

The third and final subordinate seemed to be smiling behind a green bandana that tied at the back of his neck, his snow white and pale green tipped hair hanging over it in a straight, choppy fashion. He wore a high collar white shirt with long sleeves that were bandaged to his wrists, long flaps connecting his sleeves to his torso. The bandages on his wrists went around his hands, save for the tip of his fingers. His teal pants covered his dark green boots, bandages adorning the top of said boots.

The three subordinates I recognized immediately as Ikiteiru Kage, Uzumaki Kaede, and Mushishokan Gatsuki.

"Hioshi," Kotaro spoke calmly, "I like keeping things in order. I like having a plan and letting it flow as intended…" I leaned on the monitors at my desk, grimacing.

"I know." I answered numbly. I had a strong feeling I was in big trouble. Kotaro was one of those guys who had to have everything going according to plan. If it was ruined, he had to come up with a new plan, which really took no time at all, but it was viewed as a waste of time as well as those who had altered the plan.

"If you know, how come I haven't received an update in the last week and a half?" Kotaro asked, his black eyes flicking up at me. I flinched. As if on cue, Kaede leapt forward, flinging a kunai through my hand and pinning it to a monitor. I jammed my tooth into my lip, drawing blood as the monitor smoked and crackled, the kunai jutting through it as well as my pinned down hand.

"I'm sorry," I snapped, "I would have gotten it into you, but Ruriko's been missing!" Kotaro frowned.

"Your sister…"

"I sent her on a mission to gather information on Konohagakure as well as Akatsuki that I planned on sending you within the week, but someone attacked the shop she was in. She's missing." I explained as calmly as I could. Kotaro averted his eyes, narrowing them as thought.

Meanwhile, Kaede smirked at me as she walked up to peek down at the kunai in my hand.

"Bet that hurts, huh? That'll teach ya to disobey Kotaro-sama, kya~" She cooed, sticking out her tongue and pulling down her left eyelid with her finger.

"Kaede, don't be a pain," Gatsuki sighed, "Just sit back like a good little girl."

"Hmph," Kaede whipped around, folding her arms over her chest and puffing her cheeks a little in a pout, "Jerk!" Gatsuki rolled his eyes, looking the other way.

"Enough," Kotaro ordered, making Kaede jump a little, "We're finished… Hioshi." He turned to me, my eyes flickering.

"I expect information. I'm heading north to a town called Yūgure in the Land of Snow… I have another obstacle in my way thanks to your lack of efforts." I didn't dare snap back at him by the annoyed look on his face, but I was so tempted to. Was it MY fault that Ruriko got kidnapped? No! Not at all! I prayed that whoever kidnapped her was dead and she was trying to get back…

"Understood." I answered instead. Kotaro nodded, glancing at my hand for a split second like he was going to smirk before he turned, heading out the door. Kage easily followed behind him, slinking along with the shadows as an inky mass. Kaede flashed me a toothy grin before sweeping after her master, Gatsuki rolling his eyes as he followed.

As soon as the door shut downstairs, I gasped out loud and swung around, tearing the kunai out of my hand and chucking it across the room. I looked down at my hand, grimacing. The kunai was poisoned.

I wouldn't expect anything less of Uzumaki Kaede, aka_ Kitsune_, as her dog collar had said. I could feel my hand growing numb, my finger unable to move.

At least it was only paralyzing my hand. Even so, I went for a medical kit.

Great. Now I really needed Ruriko back.

**Ruriko's POV**

If there was one thing that made this trip a whole lot better, it was the snow. White blankets, huge heaps and mountains were everywhere in the Land of Snow. It was really cool, even if there was no sunlight at all today. The sky was grayish and wind was whipping around, making our thick gray cloaks billow around.

But, if there was anyone who knew how to make a trip suicidal, it was Suigetsu.

"It's so fucking cold! Damn it, this sucks! Ack, my feet are totally frozen, no joke! I'm gonna fucking slaughter you, Ruriko, for taking us up here!" Suigetsu ranted at the top of his lungs. Suigetsu was wearing the most clothes, by the way. Two pairs of thermal pants, five pairs of socks with boots, an undershirt, a t-shirt, and two jackets.

Roku was only wearing his little cloak over him, but he wasn't complaining at all.

That was the proof that a five-year-old was way more mature than this sixteen-year-old.

"Shut up, Suigetsu," Karin shrieked, "If you don't be quiet, I'll tear your tongue out and feed it to the kid!"

"GROSS! I'll rip your head off and throw it in the river so it'll become an ice cube!"

"I'll rip off your-"

"Shut up." Sasuke muttered. They went silent, but only for a little while before Suigetsu started back up again. I sighed irritably, glancing down at Roku, who sniffled a little, his nose pink.

Crap, he had a cold?

"Roku, are you all right?" I asked. Roku looked up at me sleepily, yawning before sneezing and holding his gloved hand over his nose, whining a little. I frowned and bent down, letting him hop on my back for the rest of the walk.

"Ruriko," Sasuke began, making me jump since it was the first time he'd talk to me in three days, "We better be getting closer."

"We are," I muttered, walking beside him now, "I'm sure of it… If he's not there, he might have meant more west."

"I'm going to kill you." Even so, Sasuke looked like he wasn't even in the mood to fight. I noticed that his face looked a little pink, kind of like Roku's. I blinked. Was he getting sick too?

"Are you all right?" I asked, although, deep down… I really didn't give a crap. Sasuke glared at me, then looked back up ahead.

"I'm not cold, or sick…" After he said this, he pulled the collar of his cloak up and coughed into it. I rolled my eyes. Idiot… Roku nuzzled my shoulder, sniffling and coughing before whining.

"Ruriiiko," He whined, having learned the better way to pronounce my name, "Na…"

"I know," I sighed, "If you want, I'll just give you my cloak…"

"Na." Roku pouted and buried his face into the hood of my cloak. I smirked, then looked up as we continued trudging through the snow. Unfortunately, as we kept moving, the wind was picking up more and the snow was being whipped around into a flurry of white, causing a pretty bad blizzard.

Sasuke ended up pulling us off to the side. Being the jerk that he is, however, he sent Suigetsu, Roku, and I out to find something to eat. I took Roku with me, walking along side a mountain of snow, some of the trees protecting us from the harsh wind.

Roku plopped down at the base of a tree, sniffling and coughing. I sighed and walked up to him.

"Don't wipe your snot on your sleeve! That's gross… Here, use this." I said, handing him a handkerchief, which he gratefully took and wiped his nose on. I laughed lightly, then stood up to glance around. What would there be to eat in a desolate place like this? I frowned and looked at Roku.

"You stay put. If you see ANYONE, you run and find me, even if it's Suigetsu or Sasuke or any of those others, okay?" I asked. Roku's lower lip trembled a little, but he nodded and snuggled down in his place, holding the cloth over his nose. I nodded back, then turned and headed through the trees, pushing off the ground to land on a tree branch.

I got an eerie feeling in these woods… Like someone was standing right by me and it unnerved me. I jumped up to a higher branch, hoping that maybe I'd see a town nearby. I finally landed on another branch, high in the trees. I peered through the green pine needles and found myself staring at a small little town, perched right on the side of the icy shore. It had a lot of dark clouds around it, though. I sighed with relief, frowning a little despite that. I was dragging Sasuke everywhere and I really had no idea where Akatsuki was.

I scanned the terrain, seeing nothing, but snow forests on the way to the town. I leapt off the tree top, sailing toward the ground. I landed on my hunches, snow swirling up at my impact before I stood up and headed back to where Roku was.

However, when I found him, his eyes were wide and he was staring at something. I frowned.

"Roku, what's wrong?" I asked. Roku pointed.

"Bad!" He cried. I whipped around to stare into the woods. At first, I didn't quite see what he was pointing at until it moved. A shadow that was cast across the snow by the tree, irregularly. I stepped back as the shadow seemed to pull itself up off the ground, rising like an inky mass before becoming a human.

A male shinobi with smoky eyes and dark grayish black hair in a heavy cloak with a furry hood.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded angrily. The intruder frowned a little.

"I was watching him. Sorry."

"That still doesn't tell me who you are." I muttered. Roku jumped up and grabbed onto my arm, jerking on it.

"Bad! Bad!" Roku cried desperately, but I ignored him, glaring at the shinobi, who tilted his head slightly.

"Ikiteiru Kage… Tsukuyomi Ruriko." He stated, pointing at me. I jumped.

"How the hell do you know me?" I demanded. Kage's smoky eyes shifted a little before he turned half way away from me.

"I just do… I was told to investigate the intruders in this part of the woods… I'm finished." He replied and without another word, he practically sank into he snow, vanishing just like that. I blinked, then glared.

"Come on, Roku. We need to warn Sasuke." I told him. Roku glared at me.

"Saaas-kayy… Die." He muttered. I sighed.

"I wish." I took his hand and led him racing through the snow back to where Sasuke was sitting with Karin and Juugo, Suigetsu not having returned.

"Sasuke!" I barked. Sasuke glanced at me, annoyed.

"What now?"

"We have a problem," I muttered, "It looks like you're not the only criminal scouting out this area. Ikiteiru Kage, a man known for working under Kuromura Kotaro, showed up back there… It's dangerous if we're even seen by this guy."

"What are you talking about? I didn't feel anyone!" Karin protested. I glared at her.

"That's because they're probably good and concealing their chakra. As for Kage, he's a well known criminal because of his jutsu. He's practically a living shadow. He probably doesn't even have chakra." I mused thoughtfully. Karin blinked in surprise. Sasuke was on his feet.

"Karin, go find Suigetsu." He ordered. Karin whined a little, but shot off eventually.

"I saw a town a ways up ahead on the shore. We should rest there before continuing and so I can gather some facts." I explained. Sasuke glared at me.

"… Fine, but the kid stays with me." He stated. I blinked, then clenched my fists.

"Hell no! How do I know you won't hurt him?"

"I won't. Not unless you give me a reason to." Sasuke responded coldly. I glared at him, but it was no use. Sasuke's mind was set. After Suigetsu and Karin rejoined us, we shot off toward the little town on the shore.

Which we later found out was called Yūgure because of the fact that there was no day, no sun in that village. It was weird.

We arrived around three in the afternoon, but still no sun. Only darkness, except for the bright lights that the townspeople had put up. Roku made a big fuss about being left in the same room with Sasuke, who made a big fuss about me roaming around the town. We finally settled it, though. Roku wouldn't go anywhere near Sasuke, though, and glared at him when Sasuke even came close to acknowledging him. Even if Sasuke did buy him a good dinner, Roku hated him.

Good for him! I was glad, even though it was dangerous to have Sasuke as an enemy.

I walked through the town, my boots crunching through the snow. I was supposed to stay alert, just in case I saw Kage or Kotaro here. Even so, my mind was stuck on the fact that I knew absolutely NOTHING about Akatsuki by this point. I hadn't seen Itachi at all since I ditched him back in that valley town.

I stopped by a small shop, going instead for some hot tea and warm dango. I took a seat in a far corner, a booth behind another one with three people sitting at it. I sat down, sighing a little, almost jumping, though, when one of the three people in the booth in front of me scared me. It was Kage.

He was sitting there with hot tea in his hand. I noticed that his fingers were molding with the shadows cast across the cup by the lanterns in the shop. He looked like he was sulking, actually. The other two I remembered from their files as Uzumaki Kaede and Mushishokan Gatsuki.

"You found her already?" Gatsuki mused behind the green bandana over his mouth and nose. Kage just gave a little nod. Kaede giggled, waving her hand in her face.

"Oh my! So fast! Kotaro-sama's gonna be interested. Maybe she'll have more leads than her stupid brother… But he was kinda cute, kya." She added with a blush.

"You say that about Kotaro-sama too. And Kage. And-"

"Shut up, Gatsuki!" Kaede barked, huffing as she slammed her elbows into the table, making their cups and plates bounce. I frowned and sat up straight, listening carefully as I sipped my tea.

"I'm so excited, kya! You think Kotaro-sama will let us attack them? I heard Sasuke was one of those tough cookies, kya! I wonder if he's really as smart as his brother!" Kaede sang, clapping her hands.

"Actually," Gatsuki mused, "I wouldn't mind putting those brats into place myself… It seems they're causing more trouble than they think. Not only with Kotaro-sama, but also their villages and some networks in between."

"Kya! This is awesome! Finally, we get to some big drama! Maybe Kotaro-sama will let us start a war, kya!" Kaede shot her fist in the air, the corner of her mouth flipped in a half smirk. Gatsuki waved at her, his eyes closed.

"Settle down, kid. You go around yelling that and people will get suspicious. Besides, Kotaro-sama isn't a rash man. He wouldn't go running into a war with the army he has now. He needs more subordinates." He added. Kaede narrowed her eyes, puckering her lips up in distaste, waving her hands near her cheeks comically.

"Kya, Kotaro-sama has us! And not to mention, he's super strong himself! He's one of the top dogs now since Orochimaru's been wiped off the planet! I bet you ten thousand ryo that Kotaro-sama is now at the top of the most dangerous criminals list, kya!" She announced, thrusting a finger in Gatsuki's face. Gatsuki's eyes glowed.

"Deal." He stated, shaking hands with her. Kage averted his eyes, bringing his cup to his lips.

"You're fools… A war, as Gatsuki said, is not probable at the moment. Kotaro-sama needs more pawns on the chessboard… He knows this. It's why he didn't kill Hioshi when he had the chance. Hioshi's just one of those pieces that gets to live a bit longer than the others…" He explained quietly in a mature tone. Kaede and Gatsuki stared at him for a moment before Kaede squealed, clasping her fists to her cheeks.

"Kyaaa! Kage, your voice is so hot when you make long speeches like that!" She wailed, blushing. Gatsuki averted his eyes.

"Pssh. Kage's right… Kaede, did you even hear a word he said?" He demanded. Kaede giggled and flipped some of her bangs.

"Course I did! Something about Kotaro-sama playing chess, kya." She replied with a smile. A comically heavy black cloud seemed to hang over the males of the table in annoyance as Kaede laughed, almost crazily actually.

"And what you said earlier," Kage muttered, "Kotaro-sama probably has more leads than Ruriko does on Akatsuki."

My eyes widened as I tilted my head to listen better.

"He's right," Gatsuki agreed, "Ruriko's probably been on arrest by Sasuke. I heard she caused him some trouble back in the Land of Fire. Something about blowing up a hotel."

"OH! Sounds like fun, kya! I can't wait to meet these people! This is gonna be so fun! I am so begging Kotaro-sama for a mission to eliminate them, kya!" Kaede was standing in her seat now, making a big scene by knocking everything on the table over and throwing her fist up in the air, her other on her hip.

What an aggravating girl. She reminded me of her cousin, Naruto. But what stuck with me was what they said! If Kotaro had more information on Akatsuki than me, then I could use it to lead Sasuke in the right direction!

Now all I had to do was steal some important files from one of the world's most dangerous criminals!

… Ugh! Easier said than done…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: WOO! I have a good idea for the next couple chapters… Mostly the next one, though. lol. I need your help, though, for the… Uh, something-spiffy-named-Ruriko-rescue-brigade. O-o; If your characters are going on the mission to help, please mention it in a review, if not, please mention that! Thanks, cuz I don't want people getting mad saying, "OMG! My character could get in trouble with Lady Hokage! D:!" So, just putting that out there. Anyway, thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	27. Chapter 27

**O3o Fast update. Huzzah. :D**

**DISLCAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following: **

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**A/N: Aaaand, back to Ruriko's POV, at the beginning anyway. ;D**

****

Chapter Twenty-Seven: **Mission: Rescue Ruriko! I Just Saved Your Life!**

I decided to do this little mission myself without informing Sasuke. Yea, I know, it was a death wish. It was also dangerous since he had Roku with him, but I had to do it without him knowing. If knew that I was stealing from a high class criminal, information that I should already know mind you, he'd kill both Roku and I.

I waited a little after the scene at the shop, Kotaro's trio of subordinates leaving the shop. I got up, paid, and tailed them the best I could. I knew it'd be especially hard since Kage was known for being a good tracking ninja himself.

They eventually took off into the woods just outside the town, near the shoreline. I grimaced, glancing back behind me at the village before whipping around and shooting after them. It was a risk I was willing to take. I tried to be quiet about it. After all, stealth was my worst.

I could hear Kaede yelling a lot of the time, something about fake weapons and smoke bombs. Gatsuki would bark at her every so often to shut up, Kage staying utterly silent. In fact, that unnerved me. I could barely see the trio through the blizzard and if Kage had melted into the shadows, I wouldn't be able to see him at all…

He could be right behind me! I didn't like the thought and tried to focus on the path ahead of me. Ice had formed on the tree branches, piles of snow in my way. I had to jump and duck under a lot of things before I came to a halt.

Head of me, I saw that Kage hadn't left Gatsuki and Kaede as they approached a large stone building. It actually looked like an abandoned inn. My throat clenched, however, as I noticed that the front door was splattered with blood.

It wasn't abandoned. It was a stolen inn. I grimaced and inched forward, following and waiting as the door shut behind them. So this was where they were staying. Some, three story stone inn that they stole. I walked around the outside of it, my eyes scanning for any back doors. I came across a cellar, but it was padlocked. I came across a back door at last that led into a kitchen. I was quiet for a while before I pushed the door opened. I immediately regretted it.

I yelped out loud, not bothering to be silent. The kitchen was where the slaughter had apparently happened. The body of a decapitated old man was slumped at the main table, an old woman sprawled across the counter with a hatchet buried into the back of her head, a young woman shredded beyond recognition lying in the sink, which was still running and causing the woman's blood to flood the kitchen. Two young man, about the same age as the woman, were pinned to the wall like butterflies, their arms and legs spread out. A kid's skull was cracked open against the stone floor.

I stumbled back and caught the doorframe, covering my nose and mouth. My nose because the smell burned and my mouth because it watered shamefully. Holy crap…! It's like a slaughterhouse in here! Fucking scary as hell, without a doubt!

I felt my heart pounding, blood rushing in my ears. I really wanted to run back and grab Roku and never let go of him, hiding under my blankets, but I knew I couldn't do that. I managed to stumble in, stepping over the bodies. My boots splashed through some of the water as I shut the door behind me carefully. A few lanterns dangling in the kitchen before I moved into the larger section of said kitchen, where I saw the bodies of some of the chefs dangling from metal pipes.

I was finding it hard to breath. I had to get out of here. I bolted across the kitchen and almost slipped on some guy's puddle of blood. I yelped and caught a net holding up some pots and pans, causing them to crash to the ground. I froze.

I could hear footsteps outside. I scrambled back and looked around frantically. I tore open a cupboard and clamored in, shutting the cupboard door and squeezing myself as far away from it as possible. I didn't move, listening carefully.

The footsteps thudded before I heard the main doors to the kitchen burst open.

"I swore I heard it," An unfamiliar man's voice muttered, "It sounded like someone was in here…"

"Other than the dead bodies? Please, Ichio. There's nothing in here." A woman snorted.

"I guess- There! Look at that!" I heard the footsteps running by me, coming to a halt where the pots and pans were.

"Those weren't like that before, Mizu!"

"Were too! The chefs were flailing all over the place! We gassed this room full of poison on Kotaro-sama's command… Anything in here is dead. In fact, if WE don't get the hell outta here, that poison could still harm us, fool!"

"No, I swear! Mizu-"

"Come on, old man! We don't have time for this!" I heard scrambling and kicking before the sound of the doors shut. I had to hurry and get out of here. I threw the cupboard door open, darting out. I jumped over the pots and pans, racing through the kitchen, breathing hard. I could feel the poison burning my lungs. I gasped for air, throwing the backdoor open and slamming it shut behind me before I fell into the snow.

I shook a little before I leaned over and vomited. I was still trembling as I got to my wobbly feet, struggling to stay standing. I glanced at the door behind me.

Hell no… I had find a different way to get in there. And definitely not through the back anymore. I heard something from instead and it sent me kicking up snow, bolting down the side of the inn at high speed. I scanned the walls as I ran, searching for another entrance, my eyes narrowed. Entrance, entrance, entrance-

My eyes landed on another cellar door, this one had a rusty padlock on it. I swung my foot out and kicked it off. I reached down and tore open the door, flying in and slamming the doors shut behind me. I was engulfed by darkness that made my throat close up for a moment.

I made a hand sign with one hand, holding up my palm toward the ceiling, whispering a jutsu.

"Lightening Style. Rain Fall No Jutsu." A ball of light formed in my palm, the electricity sparking. It was like looking at the thunderstorm without the rain or the clouds. It was a calm sphere of light as I held my palm out in front of me. The cellar was full of bloodied weapons, as well as a few bodies tied up like dead animals. I gulped down the nausea in my throat.

I'd heard that Kotaro was a sick criminal, but this was scaring me worse than Orochimaru ever could. I gulped again and edged through the basement, my eyes scanning for anything that might be of use. I eventually found a flight of rickety stairs that led up, so I moved as quietly as I could on them.

I put out the jutsu as I twisted the handle quiet, peering out into the dark, dreary hall that was lit up with deep red paper lanterns, reflecting nicely on the matching carpet and stone walls. I frowned, stepping out and closing the closet door behind me.

I glanced up and down the halls before going right. I didn't waste time walking, though, I ran as quietly as possible, thankful that the halls were carpeted.

I heard an eerie ticking sound from a grandfather clock somewhere as well as the sound of chains clinking somewhere. I almost turned down a hallway when I saw two people wearing vests with an odd symbol on the back of them.

An octagon with two triangular shapes moving inwards from the top two sides, coming to a stop at a more horizontally stretched triangle that pointed downwards, the tip interrupted by a round red circle.

I frowned curiously, wanting to get a closer look, but I had to duck back against the wall as they walked by. For a second, I actually thought I got away with this, but they whipped around when I sighed. I winced and moved as fast as possible, thrusting my hands outwards and releasing bolts of lightening that shot through their heads.

I winced as the blood splattered across the hall and up on the walls. Shit, that wasn't a quiet death at all. I whipped around the corner they were coming from and moved fast, sprinting down the hall, but I skidded to a stop when I found myself staring at an open bedroom.

It was definitely a lovely suite. The windows were tall, draped with red curtains to match a large canopy bed across the room. There was also a black writing desk with a pile of papers on it. My eyes lit up.

That had to be it!

I glanced up and down the halls. No one in the other and there was a large window at the end of the other, so I was safe. I stepped into the room, immediately getting hit with a weird smell. I couldn't put my finger on it. It was almost like smoke or blood. Yea, I got confused…

I shook my head and ran to the writing desk, picking up a stack of papers and filing through it hurriedly. I jumped when I heard a loud DING-DING-DING. I jerked my head up to see the grandfather clock that had been ticking loudly, sitting across the room from the canopy bed. It seemed to glare at me, reading that it was ten in the evening. I winced.

It really took me almost seven hours to do all this? I shook my head and went back to filing through the papers. Most of them were pacts, information on conquered villages, and a list of subordinates. I set those aside, coming across a file folder that read RECENT INFORMATION on the front of it. My eyes widened, however, as I recognized the handwriting.

Hioshi's! Why was his handwriting on a file that belonged to Kotaro?

I frowned and opened the file folder, then gasped in relief. There it was! Information on Akatsuki in bold print! I beamed happily and shut the file folder before I whipped around.

My blood froze as well as my heart. My eyes flashed as I found myself face-to-face with Kotaro.

_SHIT_.

**Akira's POV**

"Is everyone here?" I asked Nero, who flicked the ash off his cigarette, glancing at me.

"Yea. I even grabbed a few more people than intended." He added, gesturing to some shinobi I had never met.

"A lot is good," Kin said, "If we're going to be looking all over the place, ya know."

"Right," I agreed, then looked up at the group of shinobi that we had collected, "Listen up, everyone! Ruriko's been gone for about two weeks now. She could be anywhere by now if whoever kidnapped her is on the move. Searching is going to be really hard with the little information that we have. We're going to split off into groups." I went on explaining, noticing that each person was listening very carefully. I honestly didn't know if they were just doing this for fun, to really save Ruriko, or maybe even just to piss off the older shinobi, but either way, it was clear that they were all ready for this.

"Akira," Nero stated after I took a break from talking to let the groups mingle, "If whoever took her a high class criminal, you should warn everyone to be cautious…. We don't want to lose anyone on this mission. It's definitely an A-rank."

"I think they know," I sighed tiredly, then gave Nero a little smirk, elbowing him, "At least we have a good team. Osamu, Kin, you, me, Daisuke, Ryuuko, and Kasumi. Koyuki's going to lead her team toward the Land of Earth. Sora's taking her group across the sea to the Land of Waves. Even that big mouthed brat, Naruto, said he was going to help… He said he's also looking for a friend. Didn't tell me who, though. Anyway, he's gonna check out Land of Wind. He's also got some his friends looking around."

"Hopefully this is enough people to look… We're practically searching the whole globe…" Nero murmured. I frowned.

"Even so, that's no reason to give up."

"I'm surprised you're not sulking," Nero muttered, "She's your sister." I averted my eyes.

"Just because I'm not having a pity party, doesn't mean I don't miss her… I'm been working harder since Ruriko was kidnapped, so we can find her and bring her back… I'm not going to make myself weak and pathetic because she's gone! She's be pissed off!" I added angrily. Nero stared at me, before frowning.

"Got it." He stated. I nodded confidently, spinning on my heel away from him with a huff to find Kasumi looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice work," She commented blandly before frowning, "You ready to go? People are getting eager."

"Hell yea," I stated with a grin, clenching my fists, "We have to find Ruriko! That's the goal! Now let's move out!"

**Ruriko's POV**

"Tsukuyomi Ruriko," Kotaro mused, "Hioshi's little sister… He mentioned that you were missing. How ironic that you'd show up here so fast." I glared at him, hugging the file to my chest and stepping back against the writing desk.

"Don't think I was following you or anything! I'm only here for something that _I_ myself need!" I snapped. Kotaro's eyes seemed to glow, despite their dark color mingled with the dim light of the room.

"How selfish of you. Hioshi mentioned nothing about that."

"… How do you know Hioshi?" I demanded. A very faint, amused smirk was on his face now as he tilted his head back, averting his eyes.

"Hioshi's been my subordinate since I tracked him down, a while back, in fact… He's been feeding me information whenever I asked." He explained calmly. I stared at him.

Unbelievable… Hioshi couldn't be doing that! He's been loyal to Sunagakure ever since he became a Special Jounin! I was so confused at that point, looking down at my feet angrily before clenching my fists and jerking my head up.

"Well, I don't care then! I always knew Hioshi was a jerk!"

"He's just a smart kid living in a stupid world," Kotaro responded dryly, then held out his hand, "I'll be taking that file. I don't want your blood to stain its pages."

"Hell no! I need this to get Sasuke off my back!" I snapped. Kotaro's eyes flashed.

"Uchiha? My, you're really hanging with the wrong crowds, kid… Look, just hand over the file and I might not kill you…"

"Might's not reassuring," I muttered, "And hell no. I rather run from you than have Sasuke breathing down my neck."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll kill him too. Now, I'm going to count to three, since I'm a patient man. Give me the file."

"Bite me!"

"One." Kotaro stated. I winced, my eyes flicking across the room to find some kind of quick exit. My eyes landed on the door, but Kotaro stepped right in front of it now, looking ready to tear my face off.

"Two." He warned. I whipped around for the window.

"Three." His hands whipped into a stream of hand signs. In the next second, I found myself getting slammed hard in the gut by a rock that was torn from the wall nearby. I went flying backwards and right out the window. The glass shattered as the curtains were jerked by my weight. I gasped when I hit the ground, the dark curtains covering me.

I scrambled as fast as I could, tearing the curtains off and bolting through the snow, my hair coming undone in the process, glancing back over my shoulder for a split second to see Kotaro glaring at me from his spot in the window.

I didn't dare look back again, running as fast as I could, breathing hard. My lungs were aching and my body was very sore. I could feel something squishing in my ribcage, telling me that I had broken a couple ribs taking the hit from him. Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth as I continued running, even as I went through town.

My heart was racing. I had never been so freaking scared in my entire life! If there was every someone more dangerous than Sasuke or Orochimaru, it was Kotaro.

I ran into the hotel, slamming the door shut and ignoring the dirty looks I received as I ran up the stairs. My legs felt like jello by now and I almost fell on my face, but I managed to keep running. I raced into my room, throwing the file under my blank before whipping out of the room to head to Sasuke's.

Sasuke looked up as I walked in, his eyes narrowed in annoyance before widening slightly in surprise at my beat up state. Roku cried out and leapt to his feet, almost tackling me. His hug sent pain shooting up my spine, but I ignored it, hugging him tightly back.

"B-Back home." I muttered. Sasuke glared.

"Where the hell were you? It's midnight now."

"I-I got caught up-up in…" I couldn't even speak right now, my body shaking. I hugged Roku tighter, burying my face against him as I got on my knees to hold him. I couldn't get the image out of my head of the kid in the kitchen, his head cracked open like an egg on the floor that was soiled with the blood of his family.

"Ruriko, what the hell is wrong with you? You're shaking." Sasuke was on his feet now, glaring at me, but looking more suspicious now than ever. I still held onto Roku, panting a little from running so hard as I glanced up at him past my hair.

"We need to get out of this town. And fast."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"K-Kotaro. He's in the village and he knows we're here." I managed. Sasuke's eyes darkened.

"If you led him-"

"That's why I'm saying we need to ditch this place! Right now! Kotaro is known for taking over villages, small ones especially, like this one! He could have his army swarming this place in a matter of seconds, Sasuke! I'm not asking you! I'm begging you!" I barked at him. Sasuke stared at me, looking completely caught of guard before he slowly frowned.

"I'll go find Karin and Suigetsu. We're leaving in five minutes. Have everything ready." He stated and brushed past me. I watched him go before pulling Roku up in my arms, ignoring the searing hot pain in my ribcage.

"Roku," I told him, "If you ever, ever see that man that you saw at Orochimaru's place, the one called Kotaro, you have to run, okay? Even if he's attacking one of us, me, Sasuke, Juugo, anyone, you need to run. Run as fast as you can." Roku stared at me, looking a little sad.

"Ruriiiko… Suh-car-d?"

"Yes, Ruriko is very scared. We need to go. Come on. Grab your plushie." I added as we went to our shared room. I snatched up the files and tore out the papers, folding them up and shoving them in my shirt.

I'm a woman, give me a break. If you had to choose a good hiding place, it'd be in your shirt too.

While Roku got ready, I went to the lobby and grabbed a bunch of address book papers as well as brochures, shoving them in the file folder before setting it under the futon so it stuck out slightly.

I stood up, taking Roku by the hand and leading him out, shutting the door a tad behind me.

Thankfully, Sasuke ordered Karin to try and help me heal my ribcage, although, it wasn't her best. Hell, even I did a better job than her, but eventually, Sasuke told me to bite her. I thought he was nuts until he explained why.

Oh, and I bit her all right.

"OWW! HOLY SHIT! Her teeth are sharpened!" Karin cried, wincing. I smirked, then unclamped my teeth, leaving a bite mark that stood out from the rest of her other bite marks. I wiped my mouth and we moved on, heading out of the village at top speed, Roku riding on my back since his legs were too small for the snow that had begun to accumulate on the ground.

I glanced at Sasuke to see if he was super pissed, but he just looked very thoughtful and kind of unnerved. I frowned.

"Sasuke." I stated. He glanced at me out the corner of his eye, frowning. I frowned back.

"I just saved your life. You owe me one."

"Che!" But that was all he retorted with as we moved out of the hazardous blizzard, running for our lives.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: HOLYCRAP. I almost forgot to put an author's note! Kya, I suck. 0o Crap, Kaede's little speech addition this is sticking to me. T.T Oh well… Anyway, I can't remember what I was gonna put here now. :T Darn it… xD Well, thanks for reading everyone, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	28. Chapter 28

**I got distracted multiple times while writing this, so sorry if it's not all that great. D":**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV again. o3o**

****

Chapter Twenty-Eight: **Don't, Can't, Won't Cry! A Wasted Effort!**

We were still trudging through the snow as the blizzard picked up. It was slowing us down, I knew angrily. I gritted my teeth as I gripped Roku's hand tightly, pulling him along with me. He had to walk now, stumbling behind me and hopping in my footprints.

I was almost losing sight of Sasuke beside me and it pissed me off. He was moving faster than the rest of us. I could only make out his Sharingan in the darkness of the blizzard.

"Sasuke, this blizzard is way too bad! We have to stop!" I heard Karin yell over the roaring… Roaring. Something was wrong with that. Blizzard's roared, but not like that.

"GET DOWN!" I screamed over the noise. Right away, we all hit the snow, causing it to burst into the air as a cloud of white. I whipped around, looking up as I saw three dark figures burst through the wall of snow.

"Ready or not! Here we come, Kyaaa!" Kaede laughed. I winced and whipped back around, grabbing Roku up under my arm.

"Roku, I'm gonna put you somewhere and you have to hide, got it?" I demanded. Roku whined a little, but nodded. I set him down behind some jagged rocks before turning around. I could barely see through the snow, but I heard Sasuke's chidori screeched and a loud explosion following. Snow went up again. Kaede burst through the wall at me, giggling as she flung a kunai at me.

I went to dodge it, but it bounced right off my arm, making me blink in confusion. She laughed out loud as I scooped the kunai up and squeezed it, making it squeak. What the hell…?

I looked up as she flung another kunai at me. I didn't dodge it this time, thinking it was fake, but a real kunai slammed right into my weak shoulder, making me bark out in pain. I gripped the handle and tore it out, flinging back at her. Kaede jumped up and caught it in her mouth before doing a little flip, giggling as she took the kunai from her mouth.

"Call me Kitsune, kya! Cuz I'm the last person you're ever gonna see!" She taunted, then made hand signs faster than I could keep up. I managed to send spider webs of electricity shooting at her, but she laughed and jumped high into the air, knocking up snow as she finished her hand signs. That's when I noticed that the wind was picking up faster and faster. I jerked my head up to see Kaede laughing.

"Don't you see it yet? I'm the one causing this blizzard, dummy! Kotaro-sama ordered me to slow you down, kya! Looks like someone's hiding those files!" She sang, wagging a finger at me. I gasped as the wind tore me up off my feet. I winced and made some more hand signs, grabbing onto Kaede's leg. Kaede stopped laughing to yelp and try and kick me off. I held onto her ankle, finishing the hand sign.

I sent wave after wave of electricity up her leg, making her scream. Her body convulsed and I let go, cursing under my breath as she vanished in a cloud of smoke to reveal a dummy that fell through the air. I slammed into the snow, rolling a little as I went to get to my feet, but Kaede swooped by me, grabbing me by my shoulder and making me yell in pain. She swung me around and threw me across the snowy field, where I slammed into the rocks that were hiding Roku, who cried out in surprise.

"Na, Ruriko!" He cried and started to move, but I glared at him.

"Don't you move one inch, Roku. You stay right there. I've got this. Just watch me." I seethed, then flung myself to my feet. Kaede, who had been laughing over me, yelped as I swung my foot up into her jaw, knocking her into the air. Positive that this was the real Kaede, I pushed off the ground and swung my foot up into her jaw again, sending her higher.

This time she laughed. I winced, realizing why. Her hand was in a hand sign and she brought her head back down to face me and opened her mouth. I moved fast, her mouth already gathering up chakra.

I managed to block her fire jutsu with my own. She swung her foot around and kicked me in the side of the head, knocking me flying to the left. I managed to catch myself on an icy peak before whipping around and kicking Kaede in the face. She fell down into the snow, me landing across from her. Her wind jutsu was slowly deteriorating, I noticed. I could see Sasuke dealing with Gatsuki himself.

I grimaced and leapt back as Kaede came back for more. She was flinging one kunai after another, slashing at me with a few. Some were fake, squeakers and the others were very real. Either way, I was dodging them quickly before I swung my fist forward into her gut, knocking her skidding back. I gritted my teeth, shaking out my hand. That's when I heard a weird sound from behind me.

I spun around to see someone in a dark cloak dash in, catching Roku up. My eyes widened and I ran right at him. It was Kage. He glanced up at me, then whipped his hand out.

"Shadow Style! Dark Prison!" He hissed, making an unknown hand sign. I yelped, jumping back as shadows jerked from Kage's feet, trying to grab my ankles. I jerked my head up as Kage whipped around and shot off.

"ROKU!" I pushed off the ground and shot after as fast as I could. I made hand signs quickly, biting into my lip as I flung my hand forward. Jagged bolts of lightening exploded from the tips of my fingers, scorching them in the process as they burst forward. Kage glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrowed for a split second before he whipped around, jumping as he fell backwards with Roku squirming under his arm. He made a hand sign with his free hand.

"Shadows Style! Whiplash!" I yelped as Kage held his palm at me, fingers curled. A huge black mass shot out and slammed right into me, knocking me flying backwards and slamming right into Sasuke, who was already stumbling a little. We shot through the snow and slammed together into a mass of rocks, causing the mountain we were on to tremble.

"Shit," Sasuke groaned behind me, his arm hooked around my neck from our tumble, "I can't see…"

"What'd you mean?" I managed, struggling to move. My whole body was aching and I felt like everything inside me was broken or about to burst. Sasuke was blindly moving through the snow, holding the side of his head, trying to stand.

"I can't see a thing…"

"Open your eyes." I moaned, rolling over onto my stomach. Sasuke collapsed to his hands and knees beside me, grabbing the front of my winter cloak.

"They are open!" He protested and looked right at me. I winced, meeting his eyes, which were indeed wide open. I managed to sit up, pushing Sasuke on his side, then his back.

"Let me see, quit fussing… Did you see where Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo went?" I asked as I checked his eyes. They stared straight ahead.

"Sasuke, I don't know what happened… What's the last thing you remember?" I demanded. Sasuke glared at me, even though he couldn't see.

"That stupid… Guy. Gatsuki or whatever his name was… He did something… A jutsu. I don't know what he called it." He seethed past clenched teeth. I frowned.

"It's probably a type of Genjutsu… I can try and release it, but from the looks if it, it might be stronger than I thought." I murmured, then made a few hands signs, then a final.

"Release."

"Shit, it's not working." Sasuke's voice as rising. Out of hysteria or rage, it didn't matter because Sasuke gave me a little push as he sat up, his blank eyes darting around angrily.

"Fuck! Fuck, why did that fucking happen? Ugh, things are just getting worse and worse and it's your fault!" He yelled, grabbing my throat. I winced, glaring at him and grabbing his wrist tightly, jerking his hand away from me, although, his nails raked through my skin, leaving red marks.

"Shut up, you spoiled brat! It's not my fucking fault! You jerk," I swung my fist and hit him in the head, but he managed to put his hand up to block me, but I kept hitting at him, "Asshole! Dickhead! Roku's gone, you fucking jerk! That asshole took him! He took Roku and now he's going to kill him just like that boy at the inn! He's going to die! He's only five-years-old and that sick bastard is going to kill him and all you can think about is blaming me for your problems! I HATE YOU!" I know I was babbling, but I couldn't help it.

My heart was pounding and my eyes were stinging with tears. I let them fall since Sasuke couldn't see me anyway. I tried not to choke on my tears, rubbing my eyes. I couldn't speak now, just in case Sasuke could tell I was crying. I just breathed hard, trying to cover it up.

"Stop crying," Sasuke said suddenly, making me jerk my head up to see that he was looking right at me, "Look up. Don't be so pathetic. If you sit here crying, you're not doing anything to help the kid." I blinked, then quickly wiped my tears, glaring at him.

"I thought you were blind."

"I was until you released it, but I faked it to see if you'd do anything… I'm done. Get up, we're going after the kid."

"But… I thought you hated Roku."

"I don't. I have nothing against him. You, I do… But not him. Kotaro's not going to kill him. We need to find the others and head back down into town. Show me this inn that you were talking about."

"Uh, ah, right. Got it." I answered and got to my feet, ignoring the numbing pain as we shot off down the mountain. We shot down the mountain, moving fast as we pushed off the ground.

"Sasuke," I muttered, making him glance at me, "I'm sorry. Don't tell anyone about that."

"I won't. I have no reason to."

"I thought you said you hated me."

"I do."

"… I hate you too." I replied with a smile. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but I could see a very, very faint smile on his face. We continued down the side of the mountain, eventually running into the others. The morons had fallen half way down the mountain… Juugo had to catch them.

Sasuke let me lead the way to the inn through the woods. We didn't pass through the town because when we saw the gates, guards were standing in front of them, wearing the same odd symbol that the ones from before had. We weaved through the trees, splitting off into pairs, save for Karin, who hung back since she was pretty much a healer in a sense.

"What if the place is trapped?" I asked as we approached the large stone inn, which was guarded by groups of Kotaro's army. I frowned. Sasuke scanned the building, his Sharingan glowing.

"Even so, we have to get inside… From what you told me, this guy won't have any qualms about killing children. We need to get in and out fast…"

"I have an idea… Which one of us runs faster?" I asked. Sasuke glared.

"That just depends on what you mean by that."

"Asshead. I meant that one of us can hold Kotaro and the three stooges off while the other takes off with Roku."

"Watch your mouth. And fine. I'll hold off Kotaro-"

"Hold on a second! Who died and made you king?"

"Me!"

"Oh shut it! Look. I'll go in there and tell Roku to go with you. He'll listen to me. You can be waiting for him out here. Protect him the best you can before taking off. I'll meet you at the place we stopped at this morning, then we'll take off again. This time, we have to move west, as fast as we can. There should be a port off the coast a few miles from here. We'll take a boat across the sea and land on the peninsula that sticks out over the sound. Deal?"

"… Fine. But if you get killed, I'm dropping the kid off in the first village I see." Sasuke stated. I smiled.

"Good… Because you'd make a terrible father." I replied, then leapt over the bush that was hiding us. Sasuke had frowned at me for that, like he was gonna smack me, but I was already gone, racing across the blanket of snow on the ground. Immediately, four guards were alerted and went to attack me. I swung my foot around and kicked one in the jaw, pushing off his face to elbow his comrade in the nose, knocking them both back.

I whipped around, kicking up snow into one of their faces before I grabbed the back of their head, slamming their face down on my knee. I swung my elbow back into a woman's face, knocking her clean off her feet and slamming into the ground. I hurried to the cellar, easily getting inside, only to be met with five more guards. I winced.

I made hand signs quickly after slamming my foot into one of their faces. I thrust my hands out, electricity sparking out and crashing into three of the guards' faces and knocking them off their feet. I slammed my fist into one of their faces before biting into the throat of the other. I really wasn't aiming for that much blood, but it was kind of fun kicking some ass right now.

I bolted up the stairs, throwing the door open. I heard a loud crash and a thud. I stepped out and closed the door to see that I had knocked out some guard's teeth. I smirked, then whipped around and ran down the hallway, listening carefully for any sounds of distress.

I had to keep focused. I raced down the hallway, easily electrocuting several guards in the face before hopping over their bodies, stomping on their faces in the process, before continuing on as fast as I could. I ducked some kunai and shuriken that went flying at me.

This was going to be harder than I thought. Maybe I should have dragged Sasuke in here with me. I frowned, then yelped when I heard a loud squeak and something hit my back. I whipped around to glare at Kaede, who was standing at the end of the hall, a cocky smirk on her face.

"Time to end your little rescue mission here, kya! Your kid's as good as dead with Kotaro-sama." She giggled, flipping out a kunai. I glared at her.

"Tell me where Roku is and I promise not to eat you, little by little." I threatened. Kaede laughed out loud.

"Kya! Good luck with that! I won't even let you get near me, kya!"

"We'll see about that." I muttered and whipped out a few hand signs, sending a huge bolt of lightening at her. Kaede flipped, using her chakra to stick to the ceiling by her feet.

"Hehe. Nice try, but I know your jutsu all too well… In fact, try hitting me again, kya!" She called. I glared at her and tried again, this time hitting her, but nothing happened. Kaede giggled and flipped back down into a crouch on the floor.

"I'm wearing rubber boots and rubber doesn't conduct electricity, so you're screwed, little girl! Kya!" She shrieked with joy and flung her kunai at me. I dodged to the side and ran at her. Fine. If that won't work, I'll just have to use close combat. I tried kicking and hitting her, but she kept back flipping out of the way before stopping and flipping the other way, kicking me in the face and knocking me skidding across the floor.

I winced, falling on my back before sitting up. Kaede smirked at me, folding her arms over her chest and cocking her head.

"Hmph. You really nothing of a challenge, kyaa. Even your uncle put up more of a fight." She stated. I blinked.

"My uncle…? You mean Daiki? How the hell do you know Daiki?" I demanded angrily. Kaede laughed musically, thrusting her hand up in her face, flexing her fingers.

"Easy, kya! Daiki put up a fight against Kotaro-sama… Of course, Kotaro-sama was only intrigued by his jutsu. Your uncle's just another pawn that Kotaro-sama has. Same with that girl he traveled with, Miyuki. The pretty one, kya. Of course, that one guy, the one with the weird laugh, just ran off, abandoning them. Smart move for a coward, kyaaa." She giggled. I flinched.

"He's not my uncle then," I snapped, "Anyone who joins Kotaro's worthless army is no family of mine nor are they sane."

"Does that go for Hioshi too, kya?" Kaede mused. I blinked, grimacing.

Hioshi. I looked up to him a lot as a Genin. To be just like Hioshi. Smart, smooth, careful, calculating… And then I find out he's joined forces with some sick twisted psycho like Kotaro? I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists.

"Hioshi… Isn't my brother…" I managed. Kaede smiled slowly, cruelly.

"Aw… If Hioshi heard that, he'd be so sad, kya. He looked pretty worried about you being in gone. In fact, I think he was getting ready to leave and go find you when we met up with him a couple days ago, kya." She cooed. I jerked my head up and glared at her.

"Stop saying his name, damn it! I don't care what you say! Now shut the fuck up!" I slammed my foot into the floor, hard. Kaede blinked and looked down as a crack slit across the floor, ripping the carpet apart. Kaede yelped and leapt away. I rose to my feet before bolting forward, hopping over the trench in the floor.

She jerked her head up in time for me to kick her twice in the face, doing a flip and grabbing the bandages around her waist and jerking. I tore them off with a snap, throwing them down the crack in the floor before grabbing a hold of Kaede's arm, tearing her forward. She howled, losing her footing and tumbling toward the crack.

"YOU BITCH!" She screamed, but her voice faded as she landed in the basement far below. I took my chance and made a few good hand signs, my feet sticking to the ceiling. I released the most powerful fire jutsu I had, causing it to explode downwards.

I leapt off the ceiling and bolted down the hallway toward a certain room. That's where I heard it. I heard Roku wailing at the tops of his lungs and I immediately ran down the hallway.

My foot catching on a wire. I gasped and fell on my stomach. I whipped around in time to see a bunch of kunai come shooting down at me from the ceiling. I rolled as fast as I could out of the way, scrambling back to my feet and running for the room again.

I completely ignored the fact that I just tripped another booby trap, which caused senbon to shoot from the bottoms of the wall at my feet. I jumped up, catching a lantern and swinging off it, rolling across the floor and onto my feet just inches from the door.

I peeked into the room and my eyes widened. Roku's arms were tied in a painful position behind his back, connected to something that was tied around his neck as well, making him gasp on his wails of pain. He had a line of senbon stuck into his arms, his little cloak gone to reveal bruises and cuts all over him. I gritted my teeth and barreled right in there without another thought. As soon as I did, the door behind me slammed shut and I whipped around.

"Shit." I cursed. Kotaro stood behind the door, his hand still on it after slamming it shut, the other one on his hip.

"That was much too easy… I figured you'd entertain me a little." He mused. I spat at him.

"You heartless bastard! Why would you ever hurt him like that? He did nothing to you! You could have went after me!" I yelled. Kotaro smirked, but it was faint.

"If I had done that, you'd have fought back and eventually run away like you did before when I attacked you. As tough as you act now, I can tell you're terrified of me and what I can do." He explained calmly. I glared at him.

"I'll put up with you for the rest of my life if it meant protecting Roku." I snapped.

"Let's see you stick by that." Kotaro stated, then made quick hand signs. He slammed his palm down and lightening exploded from his palm, then shot towards me in the shape of an arrow, torching everything in its path. I winced and shot up at the tall ceiling, grabbing a hold of the chandelier that hung overhead before pushing myself up to give myself more air time.

I made a few hand signs and cast a hot blast of flames downwards, but Kotaro swung his fist up, his other hand in a hand sign, causing a wall of rock to shoot up and block the attack. I landed on my feet, beside Roku. I quickly leaned down and bit down on the rope that tied his hands, as well as his head back. I tore it off, making Roku gasp a little and whimper. I tore out the senbon, glaring at him.

"Roku. That's the bad guy. RUN. Run and find Sasuke. He promised to help you." I said firmly. Roku nodded a little, then yelped when the rock wall that Kotaro put up exploded. I grabbed Roku in my arms, protecting him from the flying rubble before I shoved him.

"Go, Roku! And be careful!" I barked. He nodded and darted off to the sides of the room. I whipped around in time for Kotaro's fist to hit my cheek. Pain exploded into my head like fireworks, knocking me skidding across the floor and into a wall. I gasped, holding my cheek and looking at Kotaro, who frowned at me.

"I'm surprised your head didn't pop off," Kotaro mused, "That's interesting… Get up. I'm going to have fun with this."

"Shut up," I muttered, but forced myself to stand up, "You're going to regret ever meeting me." I whipped around and made hand signs as fast as I could.

"Fire Style! Running Fire!" Jets of fire hurdled toward Kotaro, who disappeared in a flash, making my eyes flicker. Where did he go? I yelped when I felt a breeze at my left, so I swung around to kick, but I ended up kicking nothing. I winced, then felt something slam into my ribs, causing me to fly through the air and slam into the wall behind the bed. Thank gods I landed on the bed. I sat up, holding my ribcage as I saw Kotaro standing across the room.

"Too slow." He stated. I gritted my teeth and went to move, but he was already making hand signs, hardly giving me a chance to do anything. I gasped as I felt something under the bed. Just in front of me, a stalagmite shot from the floor. I immediately lunged forward, just barely escaping another one that shot up behind me.

I pushed up off the bed and shot through the silky red canopy, landing on one of the tall bedposts, breathing hard. Kotaro's eyes followed me easily, narrowing slightly. He did that thing were he seemed to vanish in a blink. I flinched and pushed off the bedpost, shooting up at the ceiling. I concentrated all my chakra into my fist before bringing it forward and slamming it into the ceiling, shaking the building. I shot out the hole in the roof, doing a flip and landing there.

As soon as I landed on the snowy room, however, I was kicked in the gut, causing me to fly back, hitting the ground and rolling backwards for a second before the ground left my feet.

I gasped and caught the ledge, wincing. I jerked myself up, crawling a little. Kotaro studied me from his spot by the hole in the roof.

"I'd figured you'd want to leave quickly… Do me a favor and hand over that information you stole. I might be merciless." He held out his hand. I glared at him, gathering up all the blood in my mouth and spitting it at him.

"Screw you… Always saying might. It's not reassuring at all… Get outta my face, asshole…" I managed, struggling to stand up, only to fall back to my knees. I could feel my ribs poking around inside me as well as some throbbing pain in my skull. I wanted to just sleep for hours on end. I could already see my vision getting a little fuzzy on the sides.

"Looks to me like you'll die anyway… Just as well." Kotaro shrugged and walked up to me, kicking me onto my back. He frowned.

"Before you go, give me the files." He stated. I smirked faintly.

"Hell no. And you're not getting them yourself." I replied cockily. Kotaro's eyes flickered lightly. He didn't seem to get it until I swung my foot up into his gut, making him flinch faintly. I gritted my teeth.

I am never, ever making any more deals. After that deal with Sasuke, my life seemed to be crashing down on top of my head heavily. If it wasn't for all this mess, I could be in Konohagakure, enjoying the company of my friends.

I swung my foot up again, harder this time, knocking Kotaro into the air and back. I flipped into a standing position, ignoring how the sight in my right eye was a bit faded as I made quick hand signs, flinging my hands forward, breathing hard. I gathered chakra in my hands as crackling electricity. Kotaro had touched the ground now and forcing himself to get up.

I slammed my hands down into the roof of the inn, yelling in pain as my weak shoulder dislocated in the process. The entire roof exploded. I could feel it falling away from my feet, something snagging on my pant leg and tearing me downwards. I gasped and swung up to grab something, anything, but my nails just raked on rubble as everything caved inwards.

I was jerked down further and further, little bits of rocks cutting my skin and leaving marks behind as they tumbled around me.

Shitshitshit! I scrambled, jerking at whatever was hooked to me, finally tearing it as well as the entire left leg of my pants. I kicked off whatever it was and shot out of the mass. Next thing I knew, I was engulfed in a white flurry of snow, breathing hard. My entire right arm was numb. I couldn't move it at all. My body was sore, but I felt the adrenaline still rushing, so I scrambled to my feet.

However, as soon as I did, a hand grabbed my limp right arm, jerking hard. I yelped as I was whipped around to face Kotaro, a blood cut racing along his left cheek and through his lip. He glared at me and I felt like I was frozen now, the adrenaline being sucked right out of me by his eyes.

"Game over." He stated and swung his hand back, smacking me hard across the face and knocking me back in the snow. I gasped for air, pain exploding in my head. I felt blood forming in my mouth again and I couldn't move now. Kotaro took a step toward me to attack, but something knocked up the snow between us, making my eyes widen in shock.

"What the…? Sasuke?" I cried. Sasuke stood between Kotaro and I, his sword unsheathed and thrust out, his Sharingan narrowed.

"Back off." He ordered. Kotaro smirked lightly.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I was wondering when you'd come to save your little bitch… But now's not the best time to step in."

"I don't care," Sasuke snapped, "I said back off." He glanced at me over his shoulder, eyes glowing murderously before he looked back at Kotaro, who hadn't moved a bit. Sasuke stepped away hesitantly before bending down.

"What the hell are you doing?" I managed to demand angrily.

"Saving your worthless carcass." Sasuke snapped at me, then heaved me right over his shoulder, making me yelp a little, but my body still wouldn't move, so I couldn't thrash or wiggle away. Kotaro frowned, his expression becoming slightly annoyed. He went to make a move, but Sasuke swung his sword out at him.

"I'll gladly cut your down." Sasuke warned.

"I'm sure you'd try.""And succeed." Sasuke hissed, then whipped around and shot off, but not before something fell out of my shirt.

The folded up file with Akatsuki's information on it.

I gasped, watching as Kotaro seemed to be chuckling to himself, walking over and scooping up the folded up paper. I grimaced, digging my nails into the back of Sasuke's shirt as he shot through the trees.

Ughh! All that work…!

Damn it, Sasuke!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: o3o; So, yea. Sasuke did a kinda good thing, but at the same time, not. xD I'll work on the next chapter as soon as possible. C: Hopefully the next one will be better and not to mention, have some updates on our rescue mission squad thing who I still don't have a spiffy name for… Any ideas? :D Anyway, thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	29. Chapter 29

**YES. xD another update~**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

… **That Kumo Ninja who has no name… Yet.**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV at the beginning~**

****

Chapter Twenty-Nine: **So Many Questions, So Little Time. Gatsuki Hates Teenagers!**

Boats. They had become my enemies as soon as we got aboard one that was headed off the port we arrived at. Just looking at the dark water underneath as had me staying toward the center of the boat, my knees hugging to my chest. I huffed.

"I hate boats." I retorted. Beside me, Roku beamed and patted my shoulder.

"Na, Ruriko." He snuggled his face against me. I smiled, relaxing just a little. I was still pretty sore from my fight with Kotaro. In fact, I still couldn't feel much in my right arm nor my cheek. It was all right, I guess, though. I had Roku back safe and sound. Sasuke wasn't mauling my face off for the mess back in that village. I had lost all that information, yea… But I could still vaguely remember that we should be heading west, somewhere into the Land of Earth.

Even with that little information, I think I could keep myself out of trouble for a while.

"Ruriko… Sasuke… Na ba?" Roku asked me with a light smile, tilting his head. I pursed my lips, then glanced over my shoulder and around the corner of the wall to look at Sasuke, who was leaning on the railing of the boat, watching globs of ice in the water pass by. He looked like he needed sleep, but wasn't about to sit down.

I looked back at Roku, laughing a little.

"Not that bad… He's still an asshole… Can you say that?" I asked with a grin. Roku pouted.

"Ba word." He stated. I blinked.

"Holy crap, you learn fast. And, it's okay if you're calling Sasuke an asshole." I pointed out. Roku seemed to ponder this, making me snicker.

"You'd be a terrible mother." A voice stated. I jerked my head up, glaring at Sasuke, who was leaning on the corner of the wall, frowning at me. I scowled.

"Would not."

"Would to. You're not even teaching him anything right."

"Am to!"

"You just taught him a swear word and he's what? Five?" Sasuke demanded, his foot tapping. I huffed. Roku beamed.

"Ba mah-mmy. Ba dah-ddy." He replied, pointing to both Sasuke and I. We both snorted.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I retorted. Roku raised an eyebrow at me. Sasuke smacked his forehead.

"You're arguing with a five-year-old."

"He's smart! He learned how you say your name the right way! Come on, Roku! Say Sasuke's name!" I insisted. Roku pouted, then folded his arms over his chest.

"Sasuke." He stated. I beamed. Sasuke's expression softened, but just a little. He got on his hunches in front of Roku, studying his face.

"It's too bad his mother's dead," He muttered, "Or else we wouldn't have to drag him around."

"Don't be mean." I protested, but Sasuke shook his head.

"Not like that… I mean, he wouldn't be put in so many life threatening situations… Ruriko, he's five-years-old."

"I thought you said you didn't like him."

"I don't." Sasuke deadpanned. I glared.

"Then why are you acting worried about him?" I demanded, taking Roku into a hug, making him yelp a little in surprise. Sasuke averted his eyes.

"I don't want my son at so young an age being put out into the ninja world." He replied, standing up. I blinked, looking up at him.

"Wait, what?" I asked. Sasuke ignored me.

"We'll be arriving in the Land of Iron soon. We'll have to rush through there as fast as we can to avoid wasting time. We've used up enough precious time already. That commotion is bound to have attracted the Raikage as well as other shinobi. The news will spread fast that we're traveling together… And if that happens. They'll put you on the list of Missing-nin." He explained. I stared at him, my grip tightening on Roku slightly.

"Missing-nin…? But, my village knows I'm not a criminal!" I cried. Sasuke frowned.

"Yes, but wouldn't it be suspicious that you're traveling with a gang of criminals? You're bound to be considered as one of us, having to move in the shadows in daylight and freely at night. You'll have to don disguises in big villages, like the Leaf or Suna." He informed, folding his arms over his chest. I looked down at the floor, tense now. Shit. I had completely forgotten the consequences back home of being caught with criminals.

"All right," I muttered, "Well… There's no point in worrying about…" Sasuke frowned at me, looking a bit curious. I glanced up at him.

"I gave you my word. I'm not going to break it… Even if it means becoming a criminal." I replied. Sasuke's eyes flickered lightly before he turned his back.

"Good luck keeping up…. I can see the port from here. Come on." He went below deck to grab his cloak. I sighed and got to my feet, Roku running to the edge of the boat to peek over the rails at the port.

I grabbed my cloak from below deck, coming back up to join Roku at the rails. I avoided looking down into the dark waters that could be home to freaking several different kinds of sharks! I shuddered, then focused on the port.

It was pretty small, having one building for the boat rentals, a tower, and several little homes squished into two buildings. We docked in a few minutes, our shoes thudding on the wood. I held onto Roku's hand tightly as we walked, seeing as he kept pointing at the water.

"Na! Ruriko! Sasuke! Wawa!" Roku cried, waving frantically. I rolled my eyes, jerking on his hand a little.

"Come on, Roku. We know there's water." I muttered. Roku pouted.

"Na! Na! Wawa! If a… If aah!" He whined. I ignored him, but I really wish I hadn't as we walked along the dock. Sasuke seemed to ignore him altogether, leading us onto land, thank the gods. The snow here wasn't as fluffy as the snow back in the Land of Snow, so it crunched under our feet as we walked.

"Ruriko! Sasuke! Aahh! Wawa!" Roku complained.

"Not now, Roku." I scolded, then pulled him up into my arms to avoid him stumbling through the hard snow. We kept walking through the town, Roku still whining about the water.

"Why does he keep complaining? Shut him up!" Karin wailed, covering her ears over Roku's whining.

"Seriously! If someone was there, Karin would have felt them by now!" Suigetsu agreed with a snort. Juugo averted his eyes the other way.

"Not unless it's that shadow guy… From before." He added. That made us all stop. Sasuke whipped around, frowning down at the path behind us. The sun was just coming up, making the snow glow a creamy orange. Long shadows were cast across the snow, but none of them looked like they were about to come to life.

"If we ever get attacked by him," Sasuke warned us, "Kill him. He's obviously a tracker ninja and I don't want him following us everywhere we go. Understood?" We all nodded before Sasuke whipped back around, his cloak billowing as he continued to lead the way.

We picked up speed soon, me having to carry Roku on my back as we shot through the pine trees and past ice caves. Even as we moved swiftly without trouble, I still got this weird feeling that someone was close by. I frowned suspiciously, glancing around.

The place seemed pretty desolate, save for a few birds and some other little animals. I even noticed an animal that looked suspiciously like a tanuki. Despite that, there were no signs of the enemy anywhere.

I knew we were probably moving in the right direction into the unknown country that was home to Takigakure, the Village Hidden in a Waterfall. We were moving pretty fast and hopefully would make it there before nightfall. I know Sasuke said traveling at night was better, but it was probably also better for Kage, that shadow shinobi. With darkness and the moon casting tons of shadows, he could be hiding right next to us and we would never notice it.

"Naaaa! Bye-bye fishy…" Roku sighed at last, giving up on his wailing to relax. I frowned.

"What?" I asked. Roku beamed.

"Fishy."

"It's an ocean, Roku. There's always fish."

"Naaa, fishy." Roku pouted and wouldn't speak anymore, snuggling against me as we continued on. I rolled my eyes. He was such a weird kid. Smart, but a bit odd.

**Akira's POV**

We'd gotten word that someone had attacked a small village on the shore in the Land of Snow, so we were there as soon as we heard the news. We figured it'd have some kind of lead, not to mention, Nero was eager to see snow since he'd never seen it before.

He reminded me of a little kid, staring at the flakes of white that were fluttering down slowly to earth. I sighed, then glanced around the small village that had been almost completely wiped out.

"You have no idea who could have done this?" I asked the shinobi that was sent by the Raikage. He shook his head, adjusting his headband, which rested with the metal part on the side of his head.

"Lord Raikage believes it may have something to do with that global character… What was his name? Kuromura Kotaro?" He tried, lifting his teal eyes to look at me curious. I frowned, folding my arms over my chest to think about this.

"Wait, what was his name?" Nero asked suddenly, looking right at the Kumo shinobi, who jumped a little at Nero's glare.

"Uh, Kuromura Kotaro?" He tried. Nero frowned, averting his eyes.

"I know someone with that surname… Kotori?" He asked. The Kumo ninja blinked, standing at attention slightly.

"Uh, yes. Probably his sister. He had a pretty big family. He was originally from Konohagakure, but he defected a while back, becoming an international criminal." He explained, his voice kind of shaking. Poor guy sounded like he was going to have a heart attack. Nero flicked his cigarette into the snow, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Great. We have a psycho global criminal on the loose." He muttered.

"Don't you have anymore information on the attack here?" Kasumi asked at last, seeming to think hard about this situation. From what I had seen, she'd grown up a lot since our battle in the Chuunin Exams. And not just mentally either!

"All we know is that this Kotaro character had taken over an inn, just outside of town… Apparently, he got into a battle against a group of shinobi, probably Uchiha Sasuke's group. He's been traveling with a big guy, some guy with sharp teeth, two females, and a little kid." The Kumo ninja explained. I frowned. Little kid?

"What would he be doing, traveling with a little kid?" I asked. The Kumo ninja frowned.

"Well, I managed to get that information from a shop owner. He said one of the young kunoichi walked in with him to buy supplies, just twenty-four hours before the village came under attack…" He mused.

"What did the kunoichi look like?" Kin imposed, taking his senbon from his mouth. The Kumo ninja blinked and looked down at his clipboard, adjusting his prescription goggles.

"Well, it says here that she was a dark haired female, eyes comparable to lavender and pretty obnoxious-"

"Ruriko." Nero interrupted automatically. The Kumo ninja jerked his head up, surprised.

"You mean Tsukuyomi Ruriko? I didn't know they were sending a search team for her!" He exclaimed.

"They're not." Kin said, giving the Kumo ninja a little nudge in the back of the head with his knuckles.

"Please don't say anything," Daisuke laughed a little, rubbing the back of his head, "We're just kinda doing this without telling the Hokage." Daisuke, having grown his hair out and braided them into cornrows, had volunteered for our group right away. I was surprised, although, Nero said he wasn't.

"Don't say that," Ryuuko told him, then looked at the Kumo ninja, "Did anyone see where Sasuke's group was going before the village was destroyed?"

"Uhm… We have one report saying they were heading through the mountains toward the port about several miles from Kumogakure. Another report says they were heading just plain west." The Kumo ninja informed. Ryuuko frowned, glancing at me.

"Sound like something she'd do?" He asked. I paused to think about it, but Osamu cut me off.

"That's it," He announced, "Ruriko's probably taking them somewhere and from the looks of it, she's trying to buy time. We went through a valley village a while ago and reports said they were moving east, but now she's heading west? She's got to be doing something to buy time. She's practically dragging Sasuke all over the globe."

"But why?" I asked. Osamu shrugged, folding his arms over his chest.

"Who knows? We'll ask her when we find her!" He replied confidently.

"If they're going east," Ryuuko pointed out, "She's going to run into Koyuki's team. She's already headed in that direction. Standing around here and talking isn't going to allow us to catch up to them."

"Agreed," Daisuke nodded, "We need to move as fast as we can. You! You got any ideas?" The Kumo ninja adjusted his goggles, shifting.

"Ah, if you go around the mountain, along the shoreline, it's faster to get to the port. Just pray that you don't run into any storms on the way and you should be good to land in the Land of Iron."

"Thanks," Kasumi nodded, "You have no idea how helpful you've been."

"Yea, whatever." Nero muttered and shot off. I sighed and the rest of us shot after. Nero was way too excited to find her. I could tell by the way he had slowed down smoking. He'd only used up three cigarettes our entire trip.

"Akira," Kasumi said suddenly, running beside me, "She's traveling with Sasuke… What if he won't let her leave?" I frowned at the thought, my eyes scanning the fluffy snow at my feet as we ran.

"If Sasuke won't let her go, we'll attack him. All of us against him, he doesn't stand a chance."

"Even if he is an S-ranked criminal?" Kasumi asked, raising an eyebrow. I laughed a little.

"S is just a letter. It has nothing to do with how strong Sasuke is. We just need to keep our guards up. Hopefully we'll catch up to them soon." I added under my breath.

"I'm still uneasy about that Kotaro." Ryuuko admitted, keeping his position beside Nero behind us.

"Why? He's just another Orochimaru." Nero snorted, kicking up some snow as he sprinted. Ryuuko frowned.

"Not exactly. Kotaro supposedly goes to a lot of different villages, uses one jutsu, and the place is his for good. Not to mention, I think he has more followers than Orochimaru did… I'm a bit curious, though. What connection is there between Kotaro and Ruriko and Sasuke?" He asked.

"… You're thinking too much…" Kin mumbled past his senbon as he kept his pace to Nero's right.

"I'm only putting it out there," Ryuuko replied, "There could be more than meets the eye… Just expect the unexpected."

"You're scaring me." Nero murmured honestly.

"But he's got a point," Daisuke sighed, running along side me, "There could be more to it than just a kidnapping and buying time. The questions are why is Ruriko buying time? Is Sasuke the one who kidnapped her? Why isn't Ruriko ditching them? And who's the kid with them?"

"This is turning into a bigger mission than we thought." I groaned.

"But we're not giving up," Kasumi said quickly, making me smile at her, "We have to keep going. Who knows? We might find something that's of vital importance."

"I just hope that we can find them all on time." Osamu said quietly, sprinting on Kasumi's right. The rest of us murmured in agreement before shooting off at a faster pace to make better time.

**Ruriko's POV**

We finally stopped to rest, the sun disappearing behind the tree line. Sasuke lit a fire, which we all sat rather close to. Suigetsu had finally stopped nagging about the cold after Sasuke slammed his cloak into his face. Karin let me bite her again, since she could only use her healing once a day.

"Che," She muttered, pulling her arm away, "You're getting way to close to Sasuke. I hope you know he's taken." I rolled my eyes.

"Keep him. I'm not interested in him." I replied, annoyed. Roku beamed.

"Ruriko! Taa-chi." He exclaimed. Karin's eyes flashed, widening a little. Suigetsu spewed his yogurt at the fire. Juugo glanced up, the fire casting shadows on his face. Sasuke looked at me. I winced.

"Uh… Ignore him." I stated, then patted Roku on the head. Roku just huffed.

"You're not going to stop me from killing him," Sasuke told me after everyone had gone to sleep, "He killed my clan and he's not getting away with it. If anyone's a heartless bastard, it's him." I gritted my teeth and glared at him.

"Killing another family member makes him evil? Totally heartless and cruel? If that's what you think, then you'll hate me even more for forgiving my brother… My third oldest brother, Akira, killed my parents." I stated, unfazed. Sasuke glared.

"Then you're weak for forgiving him."

"No, I'm not," I snapped, turning to face him fully as we sat on the ground, "Akira was scared… He heard something our parents were talking about. He was really little then, so he didn't understand what they were talking about. Being a scaredy cat, Akira killed them because he thought they were planning on killing us. Me, my two other brothers, Kazuya and Hioshi… And himself."

"…" Sasuke frowned. I shrugged, looking the other way now.

"I forgave Akira. He was scared. People do stupid things when they're scared…" I thought about my first confrontation with Kotaro when he had blasted me out the window. Normally I would have jumped right back in after him, but something about him made me want to keep running, despite being sore.

"He may have done it from fear," Sasuke began, his voice icy, "But who said Itachi did it out of fear? He killed them because he thought it would test his limits. He figured killing them all and leaving me alive was _fun_. That's why I'm killing him. He played with everyone he's ever met. He probably even screwed you over too." I glared at him.

"Shut up, Sasuke. When I met Itachi, I didn't see any of that… He looked like he was just a normal guy in a normal world."

"That's what I thought until I came home to find my family dead." Sasuke retorted.

"And you're basing that off one incident."

"They're dead! I'm starting to wonder who's more heartless now." Sasuke muttered in annoyance. I laughed and looked right at me, leaning in just a bit so our faces were just inches apart.

"Who's more heartless, eh? Who knows? Maybe I am heartless. Sure, I care for the kid, but that doesn't mean I have a heart now does it? I'm sure Itachi told you something about power, right? Hm?" I questioned. Sasuke glared at me, his Sharingan glowing hatefully now.

"Shut up."

"Oh. Come on. We both know what's the most important thing in this world… Power. You're not going to kill Itachi because you want to avenge your slaughtered clan. You just want to prove that you're stronger than your big brother, oh, but what happens after that? What'll you do then? Only two Uchiha left." I snapped. Sasuke shoved me hard onto my back, hovering over me, Sharingan glowing.

"I said shut up! You've got a big mouth… And you think Koyuki and I will be the last ones?" He demanded. I frowned at him.

"What're you talking about?" I muttered. Sasuke rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Forget it. I'm not talking you until we reach the Land of Earth."

"You can't just…! You asshole!" I barked, but Sasuke ignored me and went to lie down. I huffed and fell over on my side, muttering. _WHAT AN ASSHOLE._ I was about to try and fall asleep when I felt a strange presence. It was an eerie feeling and it made me uneasy right away. I sat up and opened my mouth to speak, but Sasuke spoke first.

"I know. Just lie down." He stated. I frowned, but I couldn't lie down. I glanced at where the fire had been, smoke billowing up. The moon up above was casting shadows and then I noticed it. Something that stood out against the rest of the snowy woods.

A moth. A lunar moth was fluttering its wings, positioned on a pine tree. It was huge. I gasped.

"Sasuke!" I protested. Sasuke was up now, flinging a kunai at the moth, but it burst into smoke before it could be hit.

"Get up!" Sasuke yelled at the others, kicking them. Suigetsu flailed a little, Karin leaping up, and Juugo just woke up on his own since he was actually the most well behaved. Roku was already up when I was up, so he was on his feet, pointing at where the moth had been.

"Pretty!" He exclaimed.

"You learned a new word!" I cried.

"Is that really the most concerning thing right now?" Suigetsu yelled at me. I scooped up a ball of snow, hitting him in the face with it before whipping around to find that Gatsuki was stepping out of the woods casually, a hand in his pocket, the other resting on a tree.

"Wow, you really are a bunch of teenagers… I'm starting to wish you hadn't beaten up Kaede so she could deal with you rats." The guy sighed, leaning on the tree.

"What the hell do you want?" Sasuke demanded in annoyance.

"You mean I didn't kill her?" I barked at the same time Sasuke spoke. I sweat dropped when Sasuke glared at me. Gatsuki shook his head, seeming to close his eyes in a smile.

"Oh no. She's still alive. She's part of the Uzumaki Clan. Those guys are pretty hard to kill off… And I'm here because I was sent to throw you off course… I just wish I wasn't sent to do this by Kotaro-sama personally, or else I would have rejected it." He muttered.

"Some loyal subordinate." Karin muttered. Gatsuki seemed to be smirking behind his bandana as he pushed off the tree, taking a step forward.

"I'm as loyal as Kage and Kaede is… I just don't like to waste my time doing things I don't agree with… Unfortunately, now that I'm here. You're all going to have to die." He stated, holding out his hands in a shrug.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: … The title of this chapter makes no sense for the second part of it. xD I just felt that you all needed to know that Gatsuki really hates teenagers… He can't stand 'em, especially obnoxious ones like Ruriko, Sasuke, or Kaede… Haha, he reminds me sort of a teacher for some reason. 0o weird image. lol. Anyway, thanks so very much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are loved with a passion!**


	30. Chapter 30

**I am so sorry this took so long! I got way too distracted. :"D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within the fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV at the beginning~**

****

Chapter Thirty: **The Weak Are Meat, The Strong Eat! Akira's a Pervert…**

"You're kind of screwed." Gatsuki stated, shrugging as he held out his arms, palms facing up. As soon as he did, a huge cloud of lunar moths floated from his palms into a huge flurry overhead. I stared. Holy crap, that's a lot of bugs! I grimaced. Roku blinked, his eyes wide as he pointed.

"Pretty!" He proclaimed.

"Not now, Roku!" I cried and pushed him back a little. Sasuke glared and unsheathed his sword.

"The rest of you head down the path. We just need to cross the border into the next country!" He ordered.

"What? No way," I protested, "We can't leave you here to fight him again!"

"You're still weak from your battle with Kotaro, now get your ass out of here!" Sasuke barked and surprised me, by slashing his sword at me, making me leap back. I glared, then looked at Roku.

"Go with the other people, Roku… Uh, I would say take care of them, but you'd probably do a matter job taking care of them." I muttered.

"Shut up!" Suigetsu protested. I rolled my eyes, then nudged Roku, who whined a little, but eventually nodded and left. Sasuke glared at me in annoyance. I swung my hand out toward the cloud of moths.

"Sorry, Sasuke, but I owe you one for saving me from Kotaro. And not to mention, if this guy uses that Genjutsu on you again, you'll be blind and by yourself." I told him. Sasuke frowned. I made a hand sign and lightening burst from my palm, slicing through a group of moths, tearing them to shreds. Gatsuki looked up calmly as the moth's little bodies fluttered to the snow. He glanced at me.

"That wasn't very nice… I take it you're one of those orphans too, hm? No parents to teach you left from right?" He asked with a bored sigh.

"Shut up!" I snapped. Sasuke took his chance and started up his chidori, aiming it at him. Gatsuki didn't move at all to get out of the way. In fact, he stood still, his hands in a hand sign.

"Summoning Jutsu! Kirei!" He slammed his palms together, his pinkies downwards and in a burst of smoke, Sasuke's chidori pierced the body of a huge ass lunar moth. Sasuke winced and tore his hand back, stumbling. The moth's huge wings stretched to reveal beautiful white patterns. The moth gave a quiet groan of pain.

"Aahh, Gatsuki," She murmured, "You treat your summonings so cruelly…" She fluttered up into the air, hovering now as blood fell from her wounded body, splashing on the ground. Gatsuki rolled his eyes.

"You don't get it as bad as your brother," He told her, then looked at Sasuke, closing his eyes in a smile, "Fail. I think you'd have learnt that the last time we fought."

"And you'd think that you'd pay more attention to both opponents!" I yelled, my hand in a hand sign as I thrust my hand out to set off a lightening jutsu, but nothing happened. I blinked and glared at Gatsuki, who looked at me out the corner of his eye.

"You're right. I didn't forget you… You're too noisy to forget… I just need to hold you two still for a second," He started weaving hand signs, glancing up at Kirei, "Kirei, go find the others that escaped. Capture them until I can arrive."

"Yes, Gatsuki-sama." Kirei whispered and fluttered off. Gatsuki finished his hand signs and brought his hands out, his fingers curled.

"Summoning! Vampire Moths!" Purplish black moths shot forth, tons of them about the side of my pinkie finger. The first one that hit me, bit down sharply on my cheek. I swung my hand up, smacking it off, only to be completely surrounded. Shit.

I felt their little mouths biting into my skin, ripping at it. I gritted my teeth. Two could play at that game. I opened my mouth and sucked in a deep breath, taking in three moths and crashing my teeth down on them.

"That's gross." Gatsuki commented.

"Ugh! They taste disgusting!" I whined, but I kept biting at them. Meanwhile, Sasuke used that lightening move, electricity crackling in the around him and destroying the moths so they fell to the snow. By the time the little moths were gone, Gatsuki was making more hand signs.

"Not bad. Try this. Summoning- Earth Style! Earth Shaking Palm!" He slammed his hands into the ground quickly, having gotten Sasuke and I prepared for another summoning. He tricked us, damn it! The earth at our feet shook and tore apart, rocks being brought up from the cracks in the earth. Snow piled in and shook, catching our feet. Sasuke shot up first, landing on a tree branch. I pushed off the ground and did a flip, catching a branch and flipping against before I landed on another branch.

Gatsuki glanced at both of us out the corner of his eyes before looking ahead and smiling behind his bandana.

"Very good. Now let's see how you can get out of this one." He made hand signs slowly, but began to speed up quickly. Sasuke cursed and leapt back.

"Ruriko! Those are the hand signs he used for the Genjutsu that he used on me! Cover your eyes!" He yelled. I immediately snapped my eyes shut, listening to an odd sound that rang through the air. It was like… The gentle fluttering of a thousand wings, moth wings.

It was almost hypnotic and I could feel the soft feathery wings touching my face and skin, no biting. I made quick hand signs, then a final one.

"Release!" I dared to open my eyes. It worked. The lilac colored moths disappeared in little puffs. I looked up at Sasuke, who had done the same, but was knocked back onto the snow. He sat up quickly just in time for Gatsuki to make another hand sign, thrusting his hand out.

"Earth Style. Eternal Imprisonment… Fit for a criminal." He added, giving another gentle smile. Sasuke went to get up, but jagged rocks shot from the ground and began to swirl around him, intent on locking him up forever.

"Sasuke!" I bolted from my position, going right at Gatsuki in hopes of stopping the jutsu. I slammed my fist right into Gatsuki's jaw, sending him skidding through the snow. I looked up in time to see the rocks gather around Sasuke like a box. I winced, cursing.

"He won't stay in there for long," Gatsuki said calmly, sitting up as he reached under his bandana to wipe his mouth, "He'll do what he did last time when I tried to trap him… Then he'll come at me and try and use chidori, just like he did last time… Then I'm going to summon my best offensive summoning and knock him back. It's child's play." I glared at him.

"Shut up! You act pretty high and noble when you don't do anything, but call for help!" I snarled. Gatsuki looked up at me, leaning back on the palms of his hands in the snow and giving me a bored look with pale green eyes.

"Hm, I know I'm high and noble. I'm wiser than you are. A girl of what? Thirteen?"

"Sixteen, asshead!"

"Sixteen. And my name is Gatsuki. What kind of insult is asshead?"

"Shut up!" I barked and just as I said it, the ground shook slightly and I whipped around to look at the prison of earth that encaged Sasuke. But not for long because it exploded in a flurry of rubble and smoke. I heard the loud screeching of chidori, my eyes widening.

Sasuke burst from the prison, looking nothing like he did before. His skin had darkened, his hair longer and bluer, the whites of his eyes black with Sharingan glowing in the center. Huge jagged, hand-like wings jutted from his back, spewing bits of his shirt out, a black star-like symbol spread across his face. I stumbled a little from the shaking of the earth, falling on my ass. And just as Gatsuki said, Sasuke went at him with chidori in his fist, glowing and shrieking loudly.

"And this is the best part." Gatsuki smirked, swinging his hands into a hand sign. I gasped.

"Sasuke, don't!" I protested, but it was too late. Sasuke was only a couple feet away before his chidori crashed into what looked like a huge mouth. I scrambled back, wincing as I watched Sasuke reel back in shock. As the smoke from the summoning cleared, it reveal a huge black moth with white beautiful designs, but it's mouth was full of jagged teeth, it's eyes red.

"Hyahahaha! You're screwed, brat! Your jutsu's in the hole!" It roared victoriously and it slammed its legs down. The entire planet felt like it shook. I felt dizzy as I scrambled to my feet, shooting up and grabbing a tree branch. Sasuke managed to use his wings to push himself back across the ground before getting to his feet, glaring daggers at the moth.

"Meet Hakai. My favorite of all summonings… Unfortunately, he's got the mind of a teenager." Gatsuki added under his breath.

"Shut up, Gatsuki," Hakai roared, "I got this! These runts are mine! Die, maggots!" Hakai reared up again, opening his mouth wide and bringing it down toward Sasuke, who managed to dart out of the way before whipping around and shooting up at him, sword in hand.

He managed to attack Hakai's face, making the moth roar out a stream of swear words. I saw blood splattering, telling me that Sasuke had cut open one of his bulging red eyes. I winced, then glanced at Gatsuki, watching the scene by tilting his head back as if he were star gazing. He didn't care that his summoning's blood was practically raining down on us, staining the snow and everything else. I gritted my teeth and shot off my feet, running at Gatsuki, who jerked his head at me.

I swung my foot around and kicked him in the face, knocking him through the line layer of snow and blood. Gatsuki winced a little and went to get up, but I kicked him in the face again, slamming his head into the ground. He gasped, blood staining his bandana. He narrowed his eyes and went to make a hand sign, but I lunged forward and bit down on his hand.

"Ugh!" Gatsuki gasped in pain, his eyes going wide. I bit down as hard as I could, sucking at the skin to move the process along. Then it happened. My teeth hit bone and I bit down harder, feeling the tips of my canine teeth piece it. Gatsuki gasped again, this time yelling.

"HAKAI!" He yelled. The giant moth that was now missing a giant eye as well as chunks of flesh whipped around, his single eye widening.

"Gatsuki!"

"Ruriko, keep doing that!" Sasuke yelled at me from above and started up chidori one last time. It slammed into Hakai's head as soon as my teeth cut clean through Gatsuki's bone.

Damn it, Sasuke!

I jerked away, taking Gatsuki's hand with me. Gatsuki howled, the first loud sound I heard him make. He tore backwards, holding his blood spurting wrist to his gut, wincing.

I immediately spat his hand out on the ground, still having some flesh in my mouth as I swallowed it. Gatsuki's eye was twitching in pain as he scrambled to his feet.

"Hakai! We're finished here!" He barked and made a hand sign with his free hand, causing the bloodied, defeated summoning to disappear in a huge puff of smoke. Gatsuki whipped around and shot off as fast as he could, leaving behind a puddle of blood. I winced a little, holding my mouth. Damn, that hurt my teeth…

I turned as Sasuke landed on the ground, looking thoroughly exhausted, breathing hard. His skin was slowly returning to normal as well as his eyes. He was shaking, though, as if he wasn't going to stand for long, so I caught him quickly.

"What the hell was that…?" I managed as the wings vanished. Sasuke leaned on me, panting.

"Nothing… Forget it… Agh…"

"What? Did whatever just happen wipe you out that much?"

"Kind of… Sort of… Not really…" His voice trailed as he went limp. I sighed. Great. More carrying duty for me. Man, this sucked. I pulled Sasuke up into my arms the best I could before shooting off to find the others.

**Akira's POV**

I leaned on the railing of the boat, frowning to myself as it chugged along the dark, murky waters. It got this odd, unsettled feeling about floating along it, though. Like someone was watching us from underneath it's dark surface. I glanced down, frowning a little more.

"What's so interesting?" A voice asked. I jumped and looked up to find Kasumi watching me, a light smile on her face. I beamed back, my worries dying right away.

"Hahaha, nothing. It's just really dark water." I replied. Kasumi peered over, then stepped away from it a little, laughing lightly.

"It's creepy. Kind of like someone's in there." She answered. I blinked, then smiled.

"That's what I felt like… So, did you talk to the other passengers?" I asked, curiously cocking my head. Kasumi sighed and leaned on the railing beside me.

"Yea… They said they saw a group similar to one we're looking for get on a boat a couple hours ago. This means we're probably about a day behind them." She replied. I frowned.

"I see… That's a bit much, so we'll have to move faster when we touch land." I said to her. She nodded, averting her eyes.

"I just hope nothing Ryuuko said is true… I couldn't sleep earlier because it was bothering me."

"Same here… It's best to try and push it out of your head while you can, I guess. Let's just focus on one thing at a time. Like finding them first." I pointed out. Kasumi pushed off the rails, folding her arms over her chest.

"I guess so." She murmured. I grinned and threw my arms around her, hugging her from behind making her let out a little yelp.

"Ne, Kasumi~ After this is all over, how about that date, eh? I promise to buy you a lovely dinner and anything else you want~" I cooed, putting my head on her left shoulder. Her eye twitched, so did the corner of her mouth. She looked like she was restraining something and I could only guess it was emotion.

"You think three years will change my mind?" She asked, closing her eyes, but not pushing me back, which made me grin some more, holding her tighter.

"How about three dates?" I tried. Kasumi twitched.

"You pervert." She accused.

"Hey, no cuddle fests on the boat!" Osamu yelled from across the deck. I pouted, looking up at him without letting go of Kasumi.

"You're just jealous that you have no one to hang onto." I taunted. Osamu twitched.

"Shut up, asshead."

"Isn't that Ruriko's insult?" Nero asked from beside him, raising a eyebrow. Osamu went pink and smacked his forehead.

"I didn't mean… Er, it just came out… Shut up!" He snapped in Nero's face. Nero just puffed some smoke in his face before looking the other way. Osamu coughed and hacked for air, his face turning a little green.

"Ugh," Daisuke whined from his spot at the bow, "Stop talking about cuddling… I already missed Sora enough as it was!"

"All the better," I replied, "So when you see her, you can give her a big hug and a bunch of kisses and-"

"Akira, I think your gayness is showing." Osamu taunted. I went pink, glaring at him.

"Oh shut up! I am not gay!" I protested. To prove it, I hugged Kasumi tighter, making her yelp a little.

"Akira!" She tried, but she still wasn't trying to pull away and that brought back my grin.

"How did we even get on this topic?" Kin asked, sitting on top of the little cabin at the center of the boat.

"I'm staying out of it." Ryuuko said, leaning on the wall of the cabin, shaking his head.

"Hmph." Was my response as I nuzzled Kasumi with a grin. I was pleased to find a pink blush crossing her face now.

"A-Akira, quit it! People are gonna get the wrong idea!" She protested nervously. I chuckled.

"I think it's a good idea!" I snickered.

"Akira, people are you going to arrest you for being a pervert." Nero accused, flicking his cigarette over the edge of the boat. I rolled my eyes and finally Kasumi jumped away, brushing herself off and huffing.

"You're all terrible… Hey, what the hell is that?" She demanded, thrusting her finger forward. We all jumped, alert now as we followed her gaze. As we looked up, we saw the port up ahead… In flames.

"Shit," I cursed, "Well, looks like someone's leaving a path of destruction in their wake."

"Do you think it was Sasuke's group or Kotaro?" Kasumi asked, her tone awed. I frowned.

"I don't know, but we need to get over there and help them. Now." I commanded.

"Right." Nero agreed. We didn't even bother for the boat to dock since we jumped off and landed on the surface of the water, sprinting across the water at top speed. We could feel the heat of the flames being just a few feet away from the dock.

"Ryuuko!" I ordered.

"On it." Ryuuko started making hand signs quickly, the rest of us standing back as he brought up a wave of dark water, thrusting it forward at the village. Most of the fire went out. The rest of us bolted forward.

Looks like we were going to fall behind schedule, again. Damn it, Ruriko, I'd wish you'd stay in one place…

**Ruriko's POV**

I had to let Juugo carry Sasuke because he was just too heavy for me and I had to carry Roku on my back as we leapt over the border, zooming off through the trees. Thankfully the temperature was becoming warmer so we could ditch out cloaks. Suigetsu was the one who rejoiced the most.

"FINALLY! I fucking hated that!" He yelled.

"Just like we hate you." Karin muttered.

"Shut up, bitch!"

"Dickhead!"

"For the love of gods!" I shouted, my eye twitching. Roku giggled behind me and held on tighter as we hopped over a stream that led to a little waterfall. Suigetsu and Karin kept arguing, though, until Sasuke woke up when we finally stopped for another break since Suigetsu was thirsty.

"Ugh," Sasuke muttered, holding the side of his head, "I feel like I was just knocked in the head."

"You fought a giant moth. I would think you'd have a headache." I responded dryly, sitting down beside him with Roku hopping into my lap. Sasuke blinked, then frowned, studying me tiredly.

"… What happened?"

"You passed out… After using whatever you used back there. What the hell was that?" I demanded. Sasuke ignored me, jerking his head the other way with a scowl on his face. I scowled.

"Well, your welcome for not leaving you behind to get killed, asshead."

"If you use that insult one more time, I'm going to kill you."

"ASSHEAD. ASSHEAD." I started to chant, but Roku suddenly wailed, making me yelp as he pointed frantically in the direction we had come.

"Na! Na!"

"Shut him up! He did that earlier when you guys were off fighting!" Suigetsu barked angrily, getting to his feet like he was going hit Roku. I glared at him.

"Wait," Karin said before I could start in on him, "I think he senses something…! I can feel chakra moving in our direction." Sasuke jerked his head up.

"How many?" He demanded. Karin was on her feet now, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses as she adjusted them.

"One, two… Three… There's seven of them. One of them has similar chakra to you." She glanced at me. I blinked, confused.

"Me?" I asked. Who had chakra similar to mine? Sasuke glared at me.

"If this is another trick…" He warned. I glared at him.

"Shut up, asshead! If it was a trick, then I wouldn't be surprised!" I snarled.

"Who's to say you aren't faking it?" Suigetsu mocked. I rolled my eyes.

"Who's to say you're not faking to be loyal to Sasuke?" I demanded. Suigetsu twitched. Sasuke got to his feet, scowling.

"That's it. Shut up. We're out of here. We don't have time for this. Let's go."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: The first part of the title I take no credit for. It's Kisame's favorite saying and I thought it fit. o3o And… Yea, Akira is a pervert. ;D Sorry if the ending bit is messed up, but I got super distracted. Promise to write a better chapter next time! So thanks for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated! ^^**


	31. Chapter 31

**ERGH. o3o;**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fic, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV…**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-One: **Letting Him Go. Keeping My Word!**

Sasuke got us out of there as fast as we could go. I was still curious. Same chakra…? My brothers, yea, but what would they be doing all the way out here? They couldn't possibly be looking for me already! Even though I knew it was bad that they caught up with me, the fact that they cared to run after me made me smile to myself. Roku tugged on my hood a little, tilting his head.

"Na?" He asked. I smiled.

"It's nothing, Roku…" I didn't need to tell him. At the pace Sasuke was dragging us at, we were bound to leave them in the dust. I honestly wanted to come up with some kind of excuse for us to slow down, just so I could see them again, but there was no way Sasuke would go for it. He'd be suspicious of me all over again… Roku dug his nails into my shoulders, drawing my attention back.

"Na," He whispered, "Na, Ruriko…"

"I don't get what you want, Roku." I sighed. Roku pouted and poked me in the ear.

"Na!" He insisted. I frowned, glancing at him. I made a mental note that I really needed to start teaching him how to speak again because I was at loss for what he was trying to tell me. I looked at Karin, but she wasn't saying anything about sensing someone nearby.

"Ruriko!" Roku protested and touched his nose. I blinked.

"What about your nose?" I asked. Roku touched his nose and made a sniffing sound.

"Ruriko samalar…." He tried. I could only guess that he was talking about the group that was chasing after us. 'Samalar' sounded a lot like 'similar'.

"What? You smell them? Is that how you know?" I asked. Roku beamed and clapped his hands.

"Ruriko!" He exclaimed. I smiled.

"Well… We have to leave them behind, Roku… Or else Sasuke will get mad." I pointed out. Roku looked sad now.

"Na…? Na buthors?" He asked. That sounded something along the lines of 'no brothers'? But I could be wrong. I shook my head, looking up ahead before it hit me. An idea slammed right into my face.

"Sasuke," I called up to him, seeing as he was putting me at the end, "We have to stop!"

"Not now!" Sasuke snapped.

"No! If I can meet up with whoever's chasing us, then I can give them Roku to take care of! We won't have to worry about him!" I protested. This time everyone stopped, looking at me. I frowned. Sasuke glared at me, his arms folded.

"And how do I know you won't run off with them, hm?" He demanded. I glared.

"I'm keeping my word, Sasuke. I'm not going to ditch you." I snapped.

"… There should be a town up ahead… We'll wait for you there… If you don't come back, I'm going to kill you. And this time, I won't let you talk your way out of it." Sasuke threatened. I nodded.

"Yes, sir. No sarcasm." I added. Sasuke rolled his eyes and nodded to the rest of the group that shot off. I let Roku hop down off my back, jumping up and down now.

"Na! Ruriko!" He cried eagerly. I smiled down at him.

"Yea, I know. I'm excited too… But you have to behave," I got on my knees in front of him, fixing up his cute little clothes and making sure all the skewers he kept tied to his white scarf were in check, "You be nice to them, okay? You have to learn how to talk, so that next time I see you, you can tell me everything that happened to you, okay?" Roku blinked, tilting his head.

"Na?"

"I have to leave you with my friends, Roku… If I take you with me, you could get almost killed. When you were kidnapped by Kotaro back in the Land of Snow, I almost broke down… I don't want to lose you, Roku. Just sending you away from me is making me sad." I admitted. Roku looked like he was gonna cry now and hugged me around the neck tightly, burying his face.

"Na wan lef Ruriko…" He tried, probably trying to say he didn't want to leave. I laughed a little, hugging him tightly.

"You practice real hard to improve your speech, okay? You train hard and you eat as much as you can so you can grow big and strong. Stronger than Sasuke. I know you want to kick his ass for being a jerk…" I told him, pulling back to wipe the tears off his face.

"Na wan lef Ruriko." He sobbed. I sighed, biting into my lip hard for a second before looking back up and forcing a smile.

"Come on, now, Roku… Don't cry. Shinobi don't cry." I said, wiping the rest of his tears away. Roku sniffled.

"Naaa!" He wailed and sniffed some more. I hugged him again, kissing the top of his head. He was making this a lot harder than I wanted it to be. I even found myself having problems just thinking about giving him up, even to trustworthy friends. I gripped him tightly.

"Roku," I started, "Don't cry… You have to man up. You've been through a lot more than other kids have. You know what's good and what's bad… You know people like Kotaro are bad… Very bad. You know people like my friends are good. You're more mature, even if you can't express your opinions properly. Just work on that." Roku sniffled a little and looked up at me.

"Puppy." He stated. I blinked, then laughed a little.

"Right. If you be good, I'll get you one of the best puppies in the world, okay? I give you my word." I told him. Roku beamed, his tears gone now.

"Puppy!" He proclaimed. I was thankful that he had calmed down. Now all we had to do was wait for Akira and them to catch up. We sat on the side of the path, Roku messing with the skewers on his scarf while I lectured him. It felt weird to lecture, than be lectured. I was so used to Kazuya or Hioshi telling me that I was careless… I laughed a little at the thought.

"Roku, never be careless," I advised, making him laugh at me, "You have to make sure you have things planned. Think your plans through and look at all the options… Don't run into battle right away either or you'll end up like me. Oh, and if someone is making fun of you, bite them."

"Na?" Roku asked, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'you just contradicted yourself!' I grinned.

"Yea, but people who make fun of smart people are stupid and deserve some punishment… But don't ever bite your friends or family. That's not right. Don't eat them either… And yes, Osamu counts as a friend. Don't bite him." I pointed out. Roku pursed his lips.

"Jah-ck ah-ss." He stated. I laughed.

"You remembered! Yes. He's a friend. I just gave him a nifty nickname is all…" I mused thoughtfully. Roku smiled, then sniffed the air and pointed down the path.

"Na, Ruriko!" He cried. I frowned, looking up. I didn't see anything, but apparently Roku had a sensitive nose if he could smell them nearing. He was on his feet now, sniffing some more before I got to my feet. I sighed.

"Well, this is bound to be an interesting reunion." I muttered and put a hand on my hip, watching the path. Roku was looking at me curiously, then back at the path. That's when Roku jumped a little and grabbed my arm.

"Na." He pointed to the path that Sasuke took toward the little town. I frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Roku sniffed and covered his nose, making a face.

"Blegh." He responded. I grimaced.

"More trouble already? Looks like we're going to have to run into Akira's group." I told him and caught his hand, jerking him after me, sprinting in that direction. Roku could just about keep up with me at my heels. I kept my eyes on the path ahead until I saw a flash of sunlight reflected off a headband. Unfortunately, I jumped up and leapt onto a tree branch, just as someone else did. I smacked right into them, but I was the one that fell backwards, grabbing onto whoever it was as I fell on my back on the ground.

"The hell?" I yelled in their face. It was just who I expected it to be.

"Ruriko?" Akira cried, his eyes wide as his inky hair fell over his shoulders. I glared at him.

"Some greeting! You almost knocked my spinal cord out!" I barked. Akira beamed.

"You're alive!"

"No way!" I exclaimed sarcastically and looked up in time for Roku as well as Akira's group landed around us. Akira got up, helping me stand before he tore me into a huge hug, making me wince.

"Air!" I managed.

"Let him hug you to death." Kin retorted, the end of his senbon sticking from his mouth.

"Yea, we came all the way here find you!" Osamu yelled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Illegally." Ryuuko added under his breath, averting his eyes.

"But we still came!" Daisuke announced with a grin.

"Yea, Akira and Nero gathered us all up to come find you! It's a good thing we caught up with you so fast!" Kasumi pointed out, putting her hands on her hips. I blinked in surprise as Akira pulled away, laughing a little as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hehe, we were way too worried about you." He replied sheepishly. I smiled.

"I'm glad you did… I missed you guys so much…" I finally felt the shock of actually seeing them all again settle in.

Kasumi had gotten taller, her dark purple hair down to her shoulders. She wore a white cloak, her headband on her forehead and a red stone pendant around her neck.

Ryuuko was taller too, dressed in a white yakata with blue rain drops on it, which showed off his pretty toned body. A black belt tied the yakata together, his lower half adorned with a pair of deep blue pants

Daisuke's black hair was longer, braided into cornrows. He wore a sleeveless maroon vest and simple black pants. He, just like the others, was taller too.

"I can't believe you guys actually came…" I finally said.

"Hell yea," Osamu boosted, "We were following all the trails you left behind you!" I blinked, tilting my head a little.

"Trails?" I asked.

"Looks like you ran into trouble back in Yūgure town in the Land of Snow," Ryuuko explained, "The entire town was destroyed by the time we got there." I stared.

"You're kidding." I managed.

"Hell no," Kin muttered, "Place looked like it was hit with several tornados… There's hardly a soul left of that place."

"Holy shit." I grimaced. I guessed that Kotaro had attacked the town after Sasuke and the rest of us left. It made me hate the heartless bastard even more. Akira sighed, averting his eyes.

"Yea… We have a few questions for you about that, but we'll wait until we settle down, huh?" He tried. I opened my mouth to say something, but Nero approached me, having not said a single word. I blinked, looking up at him, then made a face.

"Are you going to do the 'I-Told-You-So' dance? Go ahead, cuz I deserve it for being so cocky." I sighed. Nero's aqua green eyes studied my face for a moment before he surprised me by hugging me, holding my head to his chest.

"I hate you so much right now," Nero muttered, "And I hate the Kazekage…" I sighed, averting my eyes and trying to force the upcoming blush in my face down, but it was kind of hard. The heavy scent of cigarettes and alcohol wavered off him like an air freshener. The smell was actually kind of good, for him at least.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being cocky about it too…"

"Well, I know how you can make it up to me." Nero stated and pulled back. I frowned.

"Make it up to-" He cut me off by grabbed my face and kissing me smack on the lips, my eyes widening.

"Nero!" Akira whined from behind him and smacked his forehead.

"He didn't waste any time." Kin deadpanned. I felt heat rising in my face. He still wasn't pulling away and even went for using his tongue, licking my lips open. I gasped and jerked away, covering my mouth.

"NERO!" I cried. Nero shrugged innocently.

"I had to do it. I might never get another chance." He replied, then smiled. I felt my face grow hotter and hotter.

"HA! You should see your face right now, Ruriko! It's freaking red!" Osamu laughed out loud. I twitched.

"Shut the hell up, jackass! If you say one more word about it…!" I couldn't even finish my threat. Kasumi and Daisuke were even snickering now, making me even more embarrassed. Akira smiled weakly, flicking his eyes to the side, then noticed Roku watching us.

"Who's the kid?" He asked. Roku jumped a little, probably surprised that he was noticed. I blinked, then smiled a little.

"Ah, guys, this is Roku… I kind of took him in. Get that look off your face, Osamu, before I slap it off," I added angrily, noticing his stifled laughter, "Roku's parents are dead… Uhm… I'm going to have to tell you the whole story."

"We have time on the way back to the village." Akira told me. I paused, looking the other way, receiving a few suspicious and confused looks.

"What? What's wrong?" Osamu asked, frowning. I sighed.

"Look… It's a really long story… But I can't go back to the village. Not now at least." I added.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Daisuke exclaimed in disbelief. I grimaced.

"I sort of… Look, I gave someone my word that I'd help them. If I don't… I'll feel terrible, like a liar. I need to keep my word, even if it means becoming a missing-nin." I muttered.

"Let me guess… Uchiha Sasuke?" Ryuuko asked. I blinked.

"How did you…?"

"Back in Yūgure, we were told that you were traveling with him by one of the Raikage's advisors. Of course, nobody knows specifically that it's you… Yet." He added with a frown. I flinched.

"Shit… Look, to make a long story short, I was kidnapped by Orochimaru for some weird reason that I seriously don't remember. I made a deal with Sasuke that if he let me out, I'd help him find Akatsuki. Unfortunately, the reason why my trail is going all over the place is because I really have no idea where Akatsuki is, but I'm trying to find out." I explained quickly.

"And what's your connection to that Kotaro guy?" Kin asked, frowning now too. I twitched.

"That asshole. He had a file on Akatsuki, so I went to steal it and I found out…" My voice trailed. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to say it. I couldn't tell them that Hioshi was feeding Kotaro information. They'd have Hioshi arrested and he'd never survive in prison. No way, no how. He'd go insane if he left the house.

"And I found out," I managed to add on, "That Kotaro took Roku in order to draw me in to get his file back… Unfortunately, I dropped the file in my fight with him, so now I'm trying to remember the way to Akatsuki's next base."

"So in other words, you're helping a criminal?" Nero asked, raising an eyebrow. I groaned.

"Don't put it like that… I gave him my word. I had to get out of that hellhole. And I had to save Roku. He was born in the cells that Orochimaru had his experiments locked up in. He's only five-years-old."

"Young." Nero corrected me under his breath. I rolled my eyes.

"You're traveling with a five-year-old and a group of criminals?" Kasumi asked, as if she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea. I sweat dropped.

"Well, jeez. When you put it like that… But look, the reason I was allowed to meet up with you guys is because I need you to take Roku back to the village with you." I stated.

"But we can't let you go on with that asshole!" Osamu protested.

"Yea," Kin agreed, "You'll be listed as a criminal if they found out that you were working for Sasuke."

"They don't have to," I pointed out, "Just take Roku back. If anyone asks, just say you found him on your trip or something. Get creative. As far as they know, I'm still kidnapped. If they don't catch me running around, then I can safely come back…"

"And if they do catch you?" Daisuke asked, raising an eyebrow. I frowned.

"If they catch me, then I'm sorry. I'll try visiting without getting caught… But until then, I have enough shit on my plate to take care of. If I don't find Akatsuki soon, Sasuke said he was going to kill Roku… And he'll probably have fun torturing me for it too." I added.

"You just signed your death warrant." Nero muttered.

"Unfortunately." I sighed.

"So what? We're just supposed to give up? After we came all this way?" Kin asked.

"Hell no," Osamu protested, "We're not leaving without you, whether you like it or not!" I frowned.

"Osamu, don't push me now. Trust me, I really do want to come back. If I could I would, but I don't break my word, even if I end up dying because of it. It's just the way I work." I informed.

"Na." Roku mumbled, probably agreeing with Osamu.

"Don't go agreeing with him," I scolded, "Go with them and remember what I told you."

"You're coming with us." Akira stated. I glared at him, folding my arms over my chest.

"Are you going to try and make me?" I demanded. Akira winced. Nero frowned, then swung his hand out, his other in a hand sign.

"If that's what it takes." He said.

"Nero!" Kasumi cried.

"Nero, we can't attack her!" Akira protested. Nero ignored them, his eyes locked with mine.

"If you won't come back, we'll force you to." He said. I frowned.

"Nero, you wouldn't." I dared. I saw his eyes glow a little, like he was angry that I wouldn't believe him.

"Try me. Make one move in the other direction and I'll attack you." He stated.

"Nero's right," Ryuuko spoke up, "We can't let you go, Ruriko. If you go with Sasuke, it's just plain suicide. It's nothing a real shinobi would do."

"But we can't just jump her like that," Kin argued, "She's our friend. That's why even came on this mission."

"And a true friend would fight to bring her back." Nero countered.

"I agree with Nero!" Osamu blurted. I glared at him, smirking a little.

"Of course you do. I gave you my word too, didn't I? That I'd challenge you to a rematch. That's the only reason you're agreeing."

"Shut up, Ruriko! When we get back to the village, then I'll fight you! I'm agreeing with Nero because I'm your friend!" Osamu shouted. I glanced at them all, noticing that none of them looked like they were leaving, then looked at Nero, who hadn't lowered his hand sign or his hand in my face. I looked at Roku, who looked a little uneasy.

"Roku," I started, "I still meant what I said. These people are my friends and you be good with them. You do everything they say and be sure to eat right. Don't ever bite friends or family. Just those who make fun of you… Hopefully Kazuya will be able to take care of you too. Oh, and, Roku? Just because of what's about to happen, it doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I just have to keep my word, like the fact that I still owe you a puppy." I added with a smile at him.

At that point, I moved. I swung my foot up, kicking Nero's hand back. Nero winced, then tore his foot around to kick me, but I ducked just in time, skidding in the dirt before I back flipped.

"Was nice seeing you all again," I said, giving them a little salute, "You better take good care of Roku so that when I come back, I can hear him speak the right way. See ya!" I whipped around and shot off. I heard Akira bark out some order, sending Nero and Osamu tailing after me.

I sighed. Nice choice, Akira. Nice choice. I pushed off the ground and shot into the trees, kicking off branches. This really wasn't my style, running like this, but I had a feeling that if I stopped to fight, Akira might send back up.

Of course, I had no choice at one point. A kunai flew past my cheek, slicing it before it hit a tree trunk. I rolled my eyes and spun around, making hand signs as fast as I could, thrusting my hand out to release a powerful bolt of lightening. Nero ducked and Osamu jumped.

I winced and spun back around and jumped down to the ground before running again, the sound of Nero and Osamu gaining on me making me want to pick up speed. I was leading them in a bad direction, right to Sasuke.

So I jerked off to the side abruptly, shooting over tree tops before landing back on the ground near a jutted mountain that most likely held a river that led to a nice, big waterfall. Just the kind of getaway that I needed.

I pushed off the rocks, jumping up along the side. That's when I felt a bolt of lightening hit the rock that I had landed on, causing me to lose my footing. I managed to grab the sides of the rocks that were jutting out, tearing myself upwards. I gritted my teeth, then glanced down at Nero and Osamu, who were catching up.

"Shit… Sorry, guys." I muttered and clenched my fists.

This is all Sasuke's fault. Yea, I know it was stupid of me to make that deal with him, but I was desperate to get out of that place and take Roku with me. He was safer with Akira and the rest of them than with a gang of criminals… Fucking shit, it's Sasuke's fault that I'm in this situation!

I slammed my fist into the side of the rocky cliff side, gathering up as much chakra with the blow as I could. The entire structure shook and rocks started colliding downwards. I ignored the agony in my knuckles as I whipped out a few quick hand signs.

"Water Style! Dark Abyss!" I brought my hands downwards before I pushed off my perch, shooting upwards and leaving thick black fog in my wake. I could only hope they dodged the rocks in time through the dense fog.

I landed on the top, just in time to get splashed with rapids that were flowing through the crevices in the rock. I grimaced a little and went to move, but this weird smell filled the air… It was like sulfur almost with the heavy stench of smoke. I frowned and immediately leapt over the little rapids, hopping on rocks to get to the other side. I scrambled to a nice hiding place and sat there for a second, catching my breath before I stood up and peered down.

I saw fire. Definitely from a fire jutsu that was sprung from either Nero or Osamu, I couldn't tell, but it was mixing with the rocks and water from the mountain and flowing down, down, down in thick gooey globs. It made me grimace. I whipped around and shot off over the edge, skidding down the side on my shoes before I flipped and hit the ground in a crouch.

I frowned, standing up and looking back up at the mountain. I had ditched them. However, it left an odd feeling weighting down my heart. I really wanted to go back with them. Had I not opened my big mouth and promised Sasuke, I'd of been begging them to take me with them. I sighed and looked away before bolting in the right direction, leaving the mountain to practically become a pile of molten behind me.

I felt terrible right now. I think I needed sleep… Really badly…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Again, I should be sued for terrible titles for chapters. Haha. Anyway, yea… I need ideas for what to write next. -3-; Sorry if this was short or something… I'm trying to get some inspiration from the things going on around me or maybe from other Naruto episodes… But it's hard to get a hold of the Shippuden ones since I'm dirt poor and can't afford the boxsets. And I hate the Disney XD version! NO BLOOD, NOT SWEARING. WTF? :D Anyway, hopefully I can get some more ideas soon! I don't want to abandon this fic! I have received more than a hundred reviews for this and it made me so happy I almost cried. :'D Thank you so very, very much for your reviews! They're absolutely wonderful and I greatly appreciate them, even one's that have a simple sentence. C: They all make me so happy! Well, thanks for reading and I hope your OCs are in character! More reviews, the better!**


	32. Chapter 32

**WOW. o3o This chapter is full of actual Naruto characters as well as OCs! WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**A/N: IMPORTANT AN FOR THIS CHAPTER AND POSSIBLY FUTURE ONES! This is going to cut off into a third person portion of the story! Just letting you all know before you read so you don't get confused. C:**

****

Chapter Thirty-Two: **Old Man Kaiga! Witness the Destruction!**

_Cree, cree, creee… Cree, cree, creee… Cree-CRASH! SPLOOSH!_

The calm serenity of the swamp that took up most of the space in the valley was ruined as five pairs of ninja shoes hit the thick, murky surface. Uchiha Koyuki led the group at the head, Saki Kishi and Kamaya Mai on her sides as Ayaka and Honoka took up the rear of their group. Behind them, the loud crashing of rocks pierced the once peaceful swamp.

"That's the last time I ask someone for directions." Koyuki muttered under her breath, her long black ponytail whipping in the harsh winds of her speed.

"He seemed harmless, it's a common mistake." Mai pointed out, although, she was rather annoyed by said mistake as they had been chased for the past hour. Kishi averted her eyes, keeping her comment to herself as they raced on.

"I say we turn around and kick his ass! Old man should keep his nose out of our business!" Ayaka yelled up at them, slamming her feet down on the swamp before jumping back up at the same time as her twin. Honoka smiled a bit.

"He's just one of the victims… He'll get tired eventually." She tried, although, she had a feeling that this old man wasn't about to let up. Bringing up their chase was a man in his late fifties with grayish hair streaked with white and styled in a thick mane of hair and icy blue eyes to go with. His navy blue yakata whipped around him as he moved, sending earth style after earth style after the group.

"Ya little brats! Searching for criminals!" He was yelling at the top of his voice, oddly rolling his R's.

"Actually," Koyuki muttered, "I am so tempted to go with Ayaka's plan."

"Hell yea!" Ayaka proclaimed confidently.

"If we do that, we waste time," Mai countered, "We should keep running until he tires and stops."

"He's been chasing us for an hour." Kishi couldn't help, but point out. Mai sighed, knowing she had a point, but no one made a move to stop.

"Anyone got a plan then?" Honoka asked.

"Yea. Give me a second and back me up." Koyuki said suddenly, then whipped around, her legs flying as she went through the air, making hand signs. The old man smirked, revealing a missing canine tooth, but it faded as a huge cyclone of flames hurled at him. The old man pushed off the swamp's surface powerful and leapt right over it, making a hand sign with one hand seeing as his other was still in his sleeve all bandaged up.

"Shit," Koyuki cursed, "He's fast for an old guy."

"Plan B." Mai declared, glancing at the others. Kishi nodded and made hand signs of her own, causing a huge wave of hot air to rush forward, whipping around and tearing plants up as well as the dark water. The old man chuckled and seemed to use a body flicker technique to reappear just a few feet closer, avoiding the wind jutsu.

"Holy… Maybe he's not just some old man after all." Honoka managed, wincing as they all skidded to a stop on the water's surface. The old man stopped as well, dropping his free arm at his side.

"Now stand still and take what's comin' to ya!" He barked.

"Hold up," Mai commanded firmly, making the old man scowl, "Just exactly why are you attacking us in the first place? All we did was show you a picture of who we were looking for and you were on us in an instant." The old man scuffed.

"That girl. She's the one wif that Uchiha boy." He snorted. Koyuki's eyes glowed as she took a step forward.

"What do you mean Uchiha boy?" She asked immediately.

"Uchiha Sasuke," The old man sneered, "That arrogant little son of a bitch."

"Quite a mouth." Ayaka retorted. The old man ignored her and shook his head, his mane flipping before he spat some tobacco at the swamp, glancing up at them past his thick locks of hair.

"They're traveling here, I know they are. Why do you think I was wasting my life away sitting there? I know they're coming here to look for whatshisface!" He snarled.

"Whatshisface?" Kishi asked, confused. The old man chuckled and suddenly his expression took on an almost crazed look.

"Who the hell do ya think, girly? Hya! I'm talkin' 'bout that _boy_ Itachi! The child prodigy murderer!" He roared.

"Why…?" Mai's voice drifted as she lowered her eyes to think the thought through. Ayaka and Honoka shared looks, frowning while Kishi gave her foot a little thoughtful stomp. Koyuki's eyes darkened.

"I know why Sasuke would be looking for Itachi… But why Ruriko? What do you know?" She demanded. The old man scowled.

"I just know what I know, girly. I just know that when I see 'em, I'mma take 'em all down. Sasuke, that Ruriko, Juugo, Suigetsu, Karin, and that little boy they have wif 'em…. Roku was 'is name." He murmured thoughtfully, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"Don't attack us," Koyuki tried again, standing up calmly now, "We just want information on how to find them. I want to know who you are and what you know, why you know it. We promise we won't hurt you and we'll leave as soon as you tell us. We're not criminals. We're friends." The old man crinkled his nose, then sighed in a raspy tone.

"My name is Kaiga… It's best ya not waste yer chakra on standin' on the water… Not to mention, this swamp's got some fish that love meat." He added at last, turning his back on them. The kunoichi all shared looks, then shot after the old man, who led them to a little cliff that sat on the edge of the swamp.

After starting a warm fire and silently fishing for food, Kaiga sat down with them, his legs folded and his other arm back in the baggy sleeve of his yakata.

"All right, girlies," Kaiga muttered, "Just ask away and ol' Kaiga might tell ya everythin' ya wanna know… Depends." Koyuki looked at her teammates, earning some nods before she looked at the old man.

"Let's start out simply… Who are you specifically? Give us a summary of who you are." She said.

"Yea, attacking random shinobi like that'll get you killed." Ayaka agreed with a huff. Kaiga chuckled, taking a skewer from a fish and sticking it in his mouth.

"Touché, girly… But I have no fear of shinobi. I am Kaiga of the Mountains. I'm a retired shinobi of Iwagakure, although, my mother was originally from that ruined village… What was it? Uzushiogakure… I'm probably old 'nough to be yer grandparents grandpa." He mused.

"Damn!" Ayaka whistled, her eyes widening. Mai blinked in surprise. She knew the old man was old, but not _that_ old. Honoka, Kishi, and Koyuki simply stared, almost unbelieving. Kaiga grinned.

"Ah, but just cuz I'm old, doesn't mean I can't please anyone, so if you one of you girls-"

"NO!" They all yelled at once, glaring. Kaiga sighed, shrugging.

"Worth a shot," He shook his head, then grinned, "Anyway… I was locked up at one point, by that brat, Orochimaru… Little snot kept me in there for the longest time, ats how I know Lil' Roku and the gramps who took care of 'im. Was there when that girl, the one you're lookin' for, showed up. She came 'round, takin' care of lil' Roku. He seemed ta take a likin' to her, but I got this suspicious feelin' from her. 'Sepcially when I overheard her talkin' wif the Uchiha kid… Somethin' about plannin' an escape… Well, it worked eventually. They got out all right, but they let in someone a lot worse than the little snake."

"Kuromura Kotaro," Kaiga huffed after tossing his skewer over the edge of the cliff, shaking his head, "Kid's a glutton for punishment… Heh, that is, if anyone could touch 'im. He's gettin' bigger than Orochimaru ever could. Already conquered a few villages in the Land of Rivers. S'gettin' dangerous. Fan of torture, fan of power. Jus' like any ol' bad guy…"

"What's his connection to all this?" Mai asked for confirmation, frowning. Kaiga chuckled.

"Good question. He's tied into everythin' that goes on 'round here nowadays. Jus' gotta keep yer eyes peeled… Guessin' so far, he's destroyed a village on the Land of Snow shoreline… Heard Sasuke and his lil' friends were involved… The girl you're lookin' for is leading Sasuke all over the place, lookin' fer Akatsuki." He explained.

"Akatsuki?" Honoka asked, glancing at Mai, who was still frowning thoughtfully.

"Akatsuki's a pretty big criminal organization. For as to why Sasuke would want to find them…" Her voice drifted as she looked at Koyuki, who frowned, leaning on her knee as she swiped a skewer across the dirt.

"Itachi," Koyuki muttered, "Sasuke's looking for Itachi to kill him for wiping out our clan… You mentioned that before, right, Kaiga?" She glanced up at Kaiga nodded.

"Yup… Looks like everyone's plans 'r gettin' ruined, though… Things is changin' now… Peoples are goin' in different directions. Is only a matter of time before we break out into the next shinobi war… Hopefully by then, I'm dead. No way is ol' Kaiga stickin' 'round for another blood shower." He muttered.

"Great…" Ayaka said sarcastically.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Kishi asked. The sound of another shinobi war wasn't attractive at all. Kaiga pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Well, we could kill Kotaro, kill Sasuke, kill Akatsuki. No more criminals… Easier said than done, though." He added, using a skewer to pick at his teeth.

"He's right. If we tried killing all those people, it'd trigger a war anyway." Mai pointed out with a frown.

"If we involved the villages," Ayaka added, "Not if we did it ourselves!"

"How're we supposed to kill someone considered worse than Orochimaru, Sasuke, AND a huge criminal organization by ourselves?" Kishi challenged with a frown. Ayaka huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Not just us five, but the other guys on this mission! We're already out and about! We might as well do a little researching ourselves, then gang up one the snake, chop its head off so it's body doesn't know what to do." She informed confidently.

"Which snake goes first?" Honoka asked. Ayaka looked at the fire for a moment, her eyes narrowed before she snapped her fingers.

"The littlest… Sasuke. We'll go after him. Kill him. Save our best powers for the biggest snake. Kotaro. We'll all gang up on him and take him down, just like that." She tried.

"And Akatsuki? There's more than one person. And what if Kotaro has a big army?" Mai asked. Ayaka groaned, then rolled her eyes.

"I don't see you guys coming up with any good plans." She retorted. Koyuki frowned at her, then looked at Kaiga.

"You said you were waiting for Sasuke and his group to come through here and find Akatsuki, right?" She asked. Kaiga snorted, hacking a little and spitting over the edge of the cliff

"Indeedy, girly."

"Do you know where the Akatsuki base is?" Koyuki asked. Kaiga grinned widely.

"Course I do. I was hoverin' 'round it earlier… Big cavern, moist. Gots a huge statue in it… Dun know if anyone's there yet, but I can show ya if ya want." He offered.

"That would be very helpful." Koyuki sighed gratefully. Kaiga nodded and rose to his feet, waving his hand over the fire and covering it with a pile of dirt before nodding to the kunoichi. They all rose to their feet and shot from the cliff side, darting quickly over the swamp below.

The eerie, hand-like branches seemed to blanket the swamp in a thick, greenish brown layer, the crickets chirping and the frogs croaking. There was also an odd looking fish that was sitting half on the shore, half not with three eyes averting in different directions. A shoe splashed near it, causing it to squeak and leap into the water.

"Ugh, this is gross," Ayaka muttered, "Why the hell is there a swam here?" Kaiga laughed.

"This swamp is home to multiple prehistoric creatures that were here even long before I was born, long before there were even shinobi villages and when people thought chakra was magic… This swamp is one of the last prehistoric places on the planet." He explained.

"Why would Akatsuki have a base here?" Kishi wondered aloud.

"No one comes up here," Kaiga sighed, "It's got no human life on it… Most of 'em get eatin'! Hyahaha, the fish here love meat, particularly our kind of meat."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Honoka mumbled, glancing at the water nervously. As she did, a large gray fish swamped slowly beneath them, its long fins pushing it along the surface of the swamp. She yelped. Ayaka peered in and yelped as well.

"Holy shit, that thing is huge!" She yelled.

"How deep IS this swamp?" Koyuki demanded, her eyes watching the huge yellow ones that stared back at her from under the water before the fish darted downwards through the dirt. Kaiga shrugged.

"In some places it's 'bout as deep as the ocean, other parts is like a puddle." He replied, his eyes swiping over the swamp almost nostalgically.

"This place… Is actually kind of… Peaceful. Despite the huge fish." Mai murmured, pushing off the surface with a gentle splash.

"I guess so," Kaiga chuckled, "It's a nice place if ya've lived here fer quite a while… But it'd be nice to die here."

"You talk a lot about dying." Mai said quietly, glancing at Kaiga out the corner of her eye. Kaiga laughed.

"Old as me, you'd be wanting to die… Not everyone wants to live forever." He answered before he hit solid ground that stretched a few feet from the mountain side. A gaping hole was revealing in the side of the mountain, leading to a moist cavern inside. The kunoichi stepped in ahead of him, their eyes scanning the place in wonder.

Across the large cave sat a huge statue, its hands thrust upwards as if grasping for something and an odd thin covering where it's eyes should be. Or rather, it had eyes, but overtop the mask, however, they were closed.

"This place is creepy." Honoka murmured. Ayaka twitched a little, grimacing.

"I'll say…" She agreed.

"It smells like death." Koyuki muttered, brushing a hand by her nose to wave the scent away, but it was no use. Kishi felt a shiver race up her spine and bit her lip, her eyes sweeping the cavern. Mai narrowed her eyes at the statue, frowning.

"This is weird. I'm getting a really bad feeling about this place." She stated. Kaiga chuckled behind them, making them turn and look at him.

"I would be surprised if ya didn't feel weird… Them Akatsuki is supposed to be doin' some kind of special jutsu soon… This is where they're planning it." He replied, gesturing with a baggy sleeve. Mai opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes flashed and widened.

"Someone's coming." She hissed. Kaiga blinked, then started shoving them behind a column of stalagmites. They all ducked low, holding their breathes. There wasn't a sound… Except for a few rocks being knocked from somewhere in the roof of the cave. The kunoichi peeked over the rocks to see two figures fall in through the roof, both wearing black cloaks with red clouds.

"Ugh, unbelievable, hmm…" A voice muttered stubbornly.

"Quit complaining. It could've been worse." Another one scolded, sounding much older and a bit raspier.

"Worse? How much worse? I mean, really, hmm… If I ever see Itachi again, it'll be too soon!" The younger, first voice declared angrily and he moved out of the shadows, revealing himself as a familiar blondie with blue eyes.

"… I'll agree there, but still. You don't have to complain like a child, Deidara."

"Chya, you're one to talk, hmm, Sasori." Deidara taunted, scuffing his shoes along the bottom of the cavern, closing his eyes and smirking. Sasori moved from the shadows next, shuffling along in his real puppet body, his mop of red hair stained with a darker red that suspiciously looked like blood. The same color was smeared on Deidara's cheek as well as his lip.

"I don't complain." Sasori deadpanned, his eyes narrowed to almost comical slits. Deidara grinned, showing his teeth.

"Do to! You were complaining about how your puppet exploded, hmm! Sounded like a child to me!"

"Keep talking. I'll gladly stick my foot down your throat." Sasori dared, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Arguing again?" Another voice asked. Deidara and Sasori looked up as a figure hopped down from a stalagmite, landing in a crouch before standing. The figure stood up, rather tall, wearing a mask and hood on his head, a black cloak finishing off his uniform.

"And this time it's not about your fucking stupid art! Which isn't art!" Another obnoxious voice jumped in, making Deidara and Sasori glare upwards. The hooded Akatsuki member sighed irritably as his partner fell from a stalactite on the ceiling, doing a fancy little flip and landing on the floor beside his partner. His eyes were a bright, lively purple-pink, matching his silvery/white hair perfectly. His Akatsuki cloak was open to reveal his pale chest, a necklace hanging around his neck with his headband.

"You wouldn't know art if it bit you in the ass, hmm." Deidara challenged, sticking out his tongue.

"Bite me, fucker!" The silvery haired Akatsuki member retorted angrily, sticking his tongue out in return. Both were smacked by their older, and obviously more mature, partners.

"Shut up, Hidan." The hooded one snapped at his partner, shaking his head.

"What Kakuzu said." Sasori agreed with a huff.

"Assholes." Hidan seethed, holding the back of his head. Deidara muttered about killing his partner, before he blinked.

"Hey, I thought you two were supposed to be bringing that Jinchuuriki, Yugito Nii or something like that, hmm?" He demanded. Hidan glared at him.

"We did bring her! But Pein's the assfucker that took her from us for some fucking stupid retarded reason that I couldn't possibly care less about." He ranted.

"Shut up, Hidan," Kakuzu muttered, then looked at Sasori, "Might as well get into place. The others will be arriving soon."

"Agreed." The four members made hand signs and they disappeared, reappearing on a specific finger on the statue. As soon as they did, two other members appeared on the floor of the cavern. Koyuki immediately dug her nails into her arms, frowning as she bit her lip.

The first figure, Hoshigaki Kisame, was definitely taller than his partner with visibly blue skin and navy blue hair, his Akatsuki cloak hiding whatever he was wearing underneath. His partner was none other than Uchiha Itachi, dark hair in a ponytail and his expression pretty much blank. They then took their places on a finger of the statue, followed by another mysterious Akatsuki member, the only female.

Next came another figure, carrying someone in his arms as he touched the ground below the statue. Odd, piercing-like objects faintly shown in the dim light of the cavern on his face, his ringed eyes watching where he stepped as he placed a limp kunoichi on the ground, turning to face the others.

"The extraction of the Two-Tailed Jinchuuriki will begin in a moment. You all know how long this process takes, so be aware of your physical selves." He announced, his voice echoing the cavern.

Koyuki looked at her group, who stared back at her. All of them thinking the same thing before looking at Kaiga, who was holding his hand over his nose. Koyuki's eyes widened in horror at the gesture. Mai winced and held a finger to her lips. Kaiga grinned, still covering his nose, the corner of his mouth twitching. Kishi grimaced, peeking over the rocks for a split second before looking back at Kaiga, who's expression was contorting. Ayaka and Honoka glared at him, daring him to sneeze.

Behind them, the sound of a warm humming sound alerted everyone in the cavern.

"Let's fucking do this already! I have a date with some spare ribs, damn it!" Hidan yelled, stomping his foot.

"Hidan, I swear to gods…" Kakuzu started.

"What an ass, hmm." Deidara mused with a smirk, holding his hands in a hand sign. Sasori rolled his eyes.

"Obnoxious child." He muttered.

"I guess it's somewhat of a good thing to hear someone being loud." Kisame sighed, glancing toward Itachi, who averted his eyes.

"I'll trade you." Kakuzu deadpanned.

"Fuck off!" Hidan shouted, kicking a stone in Kakuzu's direction, only to have it sidestepped. There was a quiet snicker from above, causing a few heads to tilt upwards, some being the heads of our kunoichi. Dangling upside from the ceiling was a man in black attire, save for a green scarf.

"Haha, you're so mean to Hidan, Kakuzu!" He called down to them. Kakuzu scuffed, but said nothing while Hidan laughed out loud, sticking his tongue out at Kakuzu.

"Do that again and I'll rip your tongue out of your head." Kakuzu threatened.

"Ouch!" The man, or possibly boy, above cried, clasping a hand over his orange swirly mask before he tipped his head back a little more. Koyuki frowned, narrowing her eyes as she studied the man before her blood went icy cold.

Whoever was sticking to the ceiling over Akatsuki, was staring right at her through the hole in his mask.

_Shit, we're caught!_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: OKAY! I took someone's suggestion about the other teams and so far, I've got some great ideas again! See? Suggestions do help. lol. Anyway, I will try and bring in some of the OCs who haven't made large appearances yet. It also bothers me that I'm barely putting in the actual Naruto characters, so I am throwing them in there as well. I was glad to bring Tobi/Madara in. C: He's one of my favorite characters, ranking the same place as my other number one favorite character… Haha. So, thanks so much for reading and the help, and I really hope your OCs are in character! Your reviews are also very helpful and freaking awesome! Please and thanks!**


	33. Chapter 33

**WOO. Another update. I'm on a roll~**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fic, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Kaiga (I totally didn't mention him in the disclaimer in the last chapter! OOPS! :'D)**

**A/N: THIRD POV.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Three: **Discovery! Fear of Death!**

Koyuki was still frozen, staring back at the man who watched her before he tilted his head back to the Akatsuki. Koyuki gritted her teeth, preparing to have her position given away, however, instead of yelling that, the man yelled:

"Can I join Akatsuki now?" Koyuki blinked and jerked her head up, surprised. The man laughed following the question.

"No, now buzz off, Tobi!" Hidan barked.

"Cut him some slack," Kisame retorted, "He's one of the only happy people in this whole organization."

"You're only saying that because you know how it feels to be picked on, stupid." Deidara snorted.

"Shut up!" Kisame snapped, annoyed. Itachi just sighed, closing his eyes and turning his head the other way to avoid the arguments.

"And you guys call this a criminal organization." Sasori muttered.

"I never wanted to join in the first place, hmm!" Deidara yelled angrily, glancing at Itachi, who once again avoided the conversation.

"Quit arguing," The kunoichi scolded quietly and calmly, "Save all your energy for the jutsu. You can bicker afterwards."

"What Konan said." Kakuzu agreed.

"Tch!" Hidan spat over the side of the statue before putting his hands in a hand sign. Koyuki looked at her group again and nodded. They had to get out of there and fast. Although, rescuing the fallen Jinchuuriki was probably in all their heads, there was just no way they could all hold off the powerful S-ranked criminals by themselves. They were going to need at least an army to go up against them.

Kaiga's sneeze seemed to have faded by now as he rubbed his nose red before nodding to the kunoichi. They were about to slink away from their hiding spot in hopes of darting out quickly, but they froze as an odd _schluck_ sound. They all jerked their heads up to see someone slowly morphing out of the wall just over their heads and stepping out onto a stalagmite. The man was dressed in an Akatsuki cloak, his skin half black and half white and his eyes piercing yellow with what looked like a Venus fly trap encasing his upper torso.

"Pein, please tell me you noticed." The white side of the man called to the leader of the organization.

"**If you have not, I am pretty surprised.**" The black half muttered. Pein averted his eyes flatly, putting his hand in a hand sign.

"I have, Zetsu. The kunoichi hiding the back of the cavern, I suggest you step out." He stated. Koyuki's eyes widened. Ayaka and Honoka flinched while Mai and Kishi looked at Kaiga, who winced. _Should we come out like he says? I mean, they've noticed is… That ninja, Zetsu, is obviously good at sensing chakra… He must have been hiding here the entire time._ Koyuki thought, then rose to her feet to reveal herself. She nodded to her teammates, who also got to their feet, Ayaka jerking Kaiga up by the collar of his yukata.

As soon as they did, a wall of rock shot up in front of the opening of the cavern, sealing off the entrance.

"Uchiha Koyuki, Kamaya Mai, Saki Kishi, Tachibana Ayaka and Honoka, and Kaiga of the Mountains. An interesting group." Pein stated, his eyes sweeping over them. Koyuki glared at him.

"I'm surprised you didn't kill us when you had the chance." She stated. Pein's eyes locked on her for a moment.

"I don't have a reason, at the moment. Your intruding merely caused a bit of a problem, but there's nothing you can do once we start the jutsu." He explained.

"We're not staying here," Koyuki snapped, thrusting her hand out to the side, "And we're reporting this back to our village."

"I don't think so." Pein stated and glanced upwards slightly toward Tobi, who giggled behind his mask wildly. Pein looked back down, frowning. Koyuki immediately whipped out hand signs. Catching up, Kisame did the same, using a huge wave of water to douse out the huge wall of fire that Koyuki sent outwards. Koyuki winced and immediately looked at Ayaka past the smoke and rubble.

"Quit, use a wind jutsu to tear down the barrier in the entrance. If you can't do that, MAKE an exit." She ordered. Ayaka nodded and whipped around, making hand signs as she sent a blast of rock at the wall in the opening. It crackled, but barely broke.

"Plan B." Mai ordered. Ayaka nodded and made a few hand signs, slamming her palm down on the ground and sending a huge crack shooting across the floor and slamming into the wall before it shot upwards. The cavern shook and the wall exploded in a burst of dust and rock.

"Go!" Koyuki ordered and grabbed Kaiga, who yelped.

"Whoa! Why are ya dragging me wif ya?" He cried.

"Because you're not staying behind with these guys! No matter how much you wanna die!" Koyuki barked at him and shot out of the cavern, taking a flailing Kaiga with her, the rest of her team shooting out front of her. Behind them, the cavern was exploding, crashing apart.

"Looks like we're on the run again." Mai muttered as they bolted across the swamp.

"Unfortunately." Honoka sighed miserably. Koyuki frowned, leading them racing toward the way they came into the valley.

"It's probably a long shot, but Honoka, set a Genjutsu behind us. Hopefully it'll slow whoever they send after us down a bit." She commanded.

"Gladly!" Honoka beamed and skidded to a stop, turning around while the others ran up ahead. She made a few hand signs, concentrating her chakra before she whipped her around in a circle. She flicked her finger in the center before taking off again. Behind her, the air seemed to ripple and become a huge wall of rocks.

"Nice job." Ayaka commented as her twin rejoined them.

"That should hold them for just a bit. It's best we keep running and find a village to go into. Maybe we can hide in the crowds." Honoka advised.

"Sounds like a plan. Iwagakure isn't far from here and hopefully we can get in and hide out there. Akatsuki wouldn't dare go near a hidden village like that, causing such havoc." Mai explained.

"Let's do it." Kishi agreed. With that, they shot forward, Kaiga bringing up their rear.

"Can we PLEASE take a nap once we get there? I'm over a hundred years old! This is NOT how I want to spend the rest of my old life!"

"Will you shut up?" Ayaka yelled and rolled her eyes, pushing off the water's surface as she kept her pace with the team.

"I can't wait till yer old and wrinkly so ya have to try and keep up wif the younger generation!" Kaiga retorted, but he easily caught up, moving along side Honoka and behind Kishi.

"Is there any sign of them?" Koyuki demanded, not daring to glance over her shoulder. Ayaka did, however, and her eyes widened.

"HOLYSHIT." She swore. All at once, the team skidded to a stop and whipped around. The Genjutsu behind them crashed to pieces like a bunch of pieces of glass, making their eyes widen as Hidan burst past it, laughing at the top of his lungs.

"YOU'RE TOTALLY FUCKED!" He yelled and swung downwards, landing on the swamp's surface, swinging his three-pronged scythe down. Following after him was his partner, Kakuzu, looking less intrigued.

"Che, so they sent big mouth and smartass." Ayaka muttered, clenching her fists. Honoka frowned.

"They're strong, I'll give them that, though. That Genjutsu was really strong." She murmured.

"Just what we need." Mai seethed past clenched teeth. Hidan smirked at them, gripping his scythe tightly.

"Let's see you run from Jashin again, you little bitches!" He laughed, pointing a finger at them. Kakuzu smacked his finger down, glancing at the girls with glowing, emerald eyes.

"Don't waste your jutsu on that, Hidan." He stated. Hidan twitched and scowled at him, waving a fist comically.

"Shut your fat fuck mouth, shithead! I'll take care of them all myself! Just sit back and watch, old man!" He yelled. Kakuzu rolled his eyes and stepped side, gesturing toward the kunoichi.

"Go right on ahead, then, but just so you know, I won't help you until you beg."

"FUCK YOU!" Hidan shrieked at him, then whipped around, smirking at the kunoichi.

"Who wants to be the lucky lady first?" He demanded. Koyuki gritted her teeth, glancing at her teammates.

"We don't have time to drag this out…" She started, but Kaiga stepped in front of them, waving out his hand, removing it from his yukata.

"Go on," He ordered, "Find Iwagakure and hide. I'll handle this tough guy." Koyuki blinked.

"But, Kaiga-"

"Maybe I'll get lucky and die. If I do, I want ya ta do what ya can to stop the next ninja war. There's no way this world can handle anymore damage. I've seen 'nough problems. Now on, girlies!" Kaiga ordered. Koyuki flinched. Kaiga turned to Hidan, who huffed impatiently.

"Come on, kid," Kaiga yelled, grinning to show off his missing tooth, "Let's see what ya got!" Hidan's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Fucking old man. You're dead!" He darted at him, swinging his scythe around, but Kaiga swung his arm up, making a hand sign and causing a stalagmite to shoot from the bottom of the swamp upwards and hitting Hidan in the face, knocking him back. Hidan was knocked, skidding across the swamp's surface, spitting curses.

Koyuki finally whipped around and shot off. Kakuzu watched them go with a frown behind his hood, glancing at Hidan before shooting after them. Hidan scrambled back to his feet, glaring daggers at Kaiga, who was laughing his ass off.

"Y-You're hilarious!" Kaiga roared.

"Suck my dick, fucker!" Hidan yelled angrily.

"That's quite a mouth ya got on ya. Let's compare it to my ol' friend." Kaiga grinned and pointed down, waving his other hand as if to say bye-bye. Hidan blinked, giving his head a little tilt before his eyes flashed, widening and looking downwards. Rising up from the deepest parts of the swamp was a large gray fish with yellow eyes, its jaws stretching wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth.

"FUCK!" Hidan yelled as the fish jumped from the swamp, catching him up into his mouth. The fish sailed upwards. Kaiga smirked, but it vanished as he watched the scene from below. Hidan had gone inside the fish, that was for sure, but he was coming out.

Through its belly.

The three-pronged scythe sliced from the inside of the fish, ripping it open and spilling thick chunks of raw, red meat all over the place. The fish only managed to a slight, screechy roar before it tumbled back into the swamp. Hidan leapt from its stomach before it fell, landing on the swamp's surface in a crouch.

"Ugh, gross! Disgusting! What the hell kind of fucking fish was that?" He yelled, standing up and shaking blood and guts from him. Kaiga frowned.

"You're a tough one…" He muttered, and made a quick hand sign, causing more stalagmites to jut from the swamp. Hidan was torn upwards, but managed to catch himself on his feet after being hit with one, jumping across them and leaping off the highest one to swing his scythe down. Kaiga leapt back, wincing as the tip of the blade sliced his chest, making him gasp in pain.

"YES! WIN! EPIC FUCKING WIN!" Hidan shouted in his face before Kaiga kicked him backwards, skidding on his feet. Hidan smirked anyway and did a back flip, landing on one of the jutting stalagmites. He brought his blade to his mouth and swiped his tongue across the bloodied prong, snickering before an odd symbol was drawn at his feet. Kaiga's eyes narrowed at the sight of the symbol, watching as Hidan's body seemed to take on a different appearance, black and white.

"Let's have some fun, old man!" Hidan laughed and took the cord connected to his scythe, jerking on it and swinging his scythe forward. Kaiga winced and swung backwards, avoiding it just barely and making a hand sign. Vines swirled from a tree nearby and shot right at Hidan, who smirked and didn't move. The vines caught Hidan around the throat and squeezed, releasing a little gasp from Hidan.

Kaiga smirked, but stopped when he suddenly felt as if someone was strangling him. He gasped and dropped the hand sign to grab his throat. As soon as he did, the vines released Hidan's throat and hit the ground. Hidan then jerked on the cable of his scythe, hard. The scythe tore back up from its fallen position, the blades slicing through Kaiga's left side.

Kaiga yelled in pain, watching in horror as his left arm flew off in a firework display of blood, his eyes swinging upwards at Hidan, just in time to watch Hidan's left arm also pop off. Hidan winced a little, but he grinned past it.

"Ahh~ Now that was awesome! Let's go, old man! One arm left! Move faster!" He shouted, laughing. Kaiga panted a little and jumped up, letting a kunai drop from a hidden holster on his right wrist and into his palm. He swung it around, slicing Hidan across the face. Hidan squeezed his eyes shut, his head snapped the other way as blood gushed past the gash.

Kaiga yelped as a stinging pain shot across his own face, making him back flip and hit the swamp below. Kaiga panted harshly, forcing himself to scoot back along a tree root. Hidan smirked down at him, licking the blood off his face.

"Che, maybe Kakuzu was right. I'm wasting my time with this jutsu on you! You'll be dead in one hit." He stated and held the handle of his scythe, bringing the blade close to his chest as if ready to stab himself before Kaiga started laughing. Hidan glared at him.

"Just what the FUCK are you laughing at, asshole?" He barked. Kaiga chuckled quietly now, looking up at him.

"You like pain huh?"

"Fuck yea! What about it?" Hidan snarled. Kaiga held his hand in a hand sign, breathing hard now. _One last jutsu to try… And then I can take this fucker with me…_ He thought, wincing a little.

"What about emotionally pain, hm? Everyone's scared of something." He replied. Hidan blinked, his face screwing up in confusion.

"What the fuck…? What the hell are you-" His expression grew somewhat surprised before becoming slightly dazed. In a split second, Kaiga fell backwards on the tree root, finished. Hidan fell off the stalagmite and hit the swamp, sinking under slightly, his head still above. All was silent for a while, the battle finished.

So it seemed.

After a while, Hidan forced his eyes open, his vision blurry at first before focusing. He blinked and sat upright quickly.

"What the fuck?" He yelled, but went silent as he saw Kaiga lying slumped to the ground and he grinned triumphantly, shooting to his feet.

"HA! Take that you piece of shit old man! I fucking kicked your ass!" Hidan shouted, waving a finger at him. He smirked cockily.

"Faster than I thought." A voice muttered. Hidan blinked and whipped around to find Kakuzu sitting on a stalagmite, his legs dangling and his cloak and hood missing. He grinned up at him.

"See? I did, all by myself, you fat fuck!"

"Hidan, I'm- Never mind…""What about those kunoichi? Did you kill them?" Hidan demanded. Kakuzu averted his eyes.

"Took care of 'em. They're all dead." He replied. Hidan huffed a little.

"Good. Now we can go back to that shop, the one with the ribs. I'm fucking starving." He announced, but noticed Kakuzu wasn't moving. He frowned and looked up.

"Well, what the fuck are you waiting for?" He demanded. Kakuzu looked down at him with tired eyes.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to." He stated. Hidan blinked and glared at him.

"What the fuck? You promised! You said after we come back from this fucking mission, you'd get me ribs, you fucking liar!" He shouted, his index finger thrust at his partner. Kakuzu stared at him flatly.

"I'm dying." He deadpanned. Hidan blinked, taking a little step back to look at him in shock.

"Wh-What? Oh, fuck off! You're lying! You said you couldn't die!" He accused. Kakuzu frowned and reached down, pulling up his bloodied shirt to reveal a gaping whole in his gut, chunk of flesh and blood hitting the swamp below.

"I'm all out of hearts, Hidan. I'm dying. But that's probably good for you, isn't it? You can get a partner your age." He muttered. Hidan blinked rapidly as if not understanding.

"Wh- No! Fuck no! You're my partner! You're not dying!"

"I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

"You're fucking lying!" Hidan cried, looking paler than usual now. Kakuzu smirked faintly.

"What? You're not going to cry are you? What kind of criminal does that?" He demanded and slid from his perch, stumbling a little. Hidan stepped away from him as if he had a disease. He dropped his scythe in the swamp to put a hand on the side of his head, ruining his slicked back hair.

"This isn't happening… You were fine when…! They were just a bunch of stupid little girls!" Hidan protested, dropping his hand to clench his fists. Kakuzu frowned.

"Guess not…"

"Y-You can't die! You have five hearts!"

"That they wiped out before I could kill them."

"Wh-Who's going to sew my body parts back on when they get knocked off? Who's going to buy me ribs? WHO'S GONNA START ARGUMENTS WITH ME? I CAN'T FUCKING ARGUE WITH MYSELF!" Hidan screamed, stomping his foot in the swamp.

"Che, you act like you're gonna miss me… I fucking hate you and you hate me, so shut your big mouth, brat." Kakuzu retorted, then winced and collapsed to his knees. Hidan squirmed uncomfortably, watching from his spot several feet away.

"Don't do that! Get up!"

"Shut up, Hidan…! Goddamn, you've seen enough death to know. Go back and tell Pein and take my ring too… Unfortunately, the cloak was ruined, so he can't have that back…" Kakuzu muttered, fumbling to pull his ring off his bloodied finger. Hidan stared at him, still unbelieving of the sight before him.

"N-No way! No! That's your ring, assfucker! Put it back on!" He yelled. Kakuzu rolled his eyes, then coughed, hunching over and blood pouring out of his mouth. Hidan flinched.

"Kakuzu! Stop that! Get up! Don't fucking…!" He couldn't even finish. In that moment, Kakuzu hit the swamp's surface, his body giving out on him.

He died.

Hidan tensed up.

"Kakuzu! Kakuzu! Wake the fuck up! Kakuzu!" He yelled, panicking as he whipped around. The swamp seemed to fade away as well as the structures all around it, everything going white, except for Kakuzu and his ring, which rolled across the white ground to Hidan's feet. Hidan's eyes widened.

"No way… No fucking way…" He managed, stumbling away from it and falling backwards on his ass, gasping. The air felt like it was growing thinner and thinner, making him gasp. An unbearable icy chill enveloped him, even through his cloak.

_Dead. Dead! Kakuzu's dead…? But…! He said he couldn't die! He lied! Liar! Kakuzu died!_

Everything went white at that moment. The illusion suffocated him. In reality, Hidan had hit the swamp as well as a stalagmite sticking out of the water, his expression still dazed.

"And that's… Emotional pain…" Kaiga mumbled against the tree root, blood dribbling from his mouth and along the root, hitting the water and spreading out in a red pool. His eyes grew dark and colorless, his body limp.

Only moments later did Kakuzu land on a stalagmite, fully in tact with a frown under his mask. He'd lost the kunoichi, watching them bolt behind the gates of Iwagakure within moments. He looked around, seeing Kaiga's body before looking around. Hidan was nowhere- Wait, there he was.

Hidan was flopped on a stalagmite, murmuring gibberish. Kakuzu rolled his eyes and hopped from the stalagmite.

"Stupid, cocky kid…" He muttered and bent down, heaving Hidan over his shoulder and picking up the Jashinist's scythe before shooting off to report the failure to Zetsu, rather than the true leader of Akatsuki.

"Promised me ribs…" Hidan mumbled, still under the Genjutsu. Kakuzu scuffed, but he felt a very faint bit of pity for the brat. Whatever Genjutsu it was, it had Hidan pretty upset because he caught a few murmured curses.

In Iwagakure, Koyuki collapsed on a hotel lobby couch, panting for air. Mai and Kishi took a seat beside her, Honoka sitting on the arm and Ayaka flopping out on the floor.

"Holy shit, that guy was fast." Ayaka managed.

"Unbelievably… I can see why he's part of Akatsuki." Mai managed past deep breathes of air.

"I'm just glad they let us in." Kishi mumbled before taking a deep breath. The others nodded in agreement. After catching her breath, Koyuki rose to her feet, nodding to them.

"All right. Mai, grab a hotel room for one night. Kishi and I will go and see if we can send a message to our sensei back in Konohagakure." She explained.

"What? Why?" Ayaka demanded.

"She's got a point," Honoka murmured, "If they find out, so will Lady Tsunade and we'll be in big trouble." Koyuki frowned.

"I know… But Kaiga's last request was to prevent a war. We have to respect that and we can't do this by ourselves. Our sensei, our villages, are our last hopes." She stated.

"I wonder if our sensei even know we're gone." Kishi said under her breath, averting her eyes.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Haha… I got some good suggestions and yes, I am putting them to use! They gave me great ideas, so updates will be frequent once again! I'm super excited to get them all up! And, I must say, I felt like a sadist when I wrote about the Genjutsu that trapped Hidan… :'D I'm terrible. Oh well. xD Anyway, thanks for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	34. Chapter 34

**WOO. This is kind of a random, somewhat weird chapter… o3o;**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**And… etc, etc… xD**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Four: **Festival at Iwagakure! In A Smash!**

"This is unbelievable," Kazuya murmured, looking around over the town as he sat in a crouched position on the water tower, "Where could they have gone?"

"I don't know," Kotori muttered, her green eyes flickering about the village, "But this is making me very uneasy. It's not like them _all_ to vanish like this. Kakashi says even Naruto and Sakura have disappeared. In fact, there seems to be quite a few missing shinobi."

Kazuya frowned, glancing up at her before looking around the village again, his eyes spotting a hawk flying in from the northeast.

"That looks like a messenger hawk."

"From Iwagakure?" Kotori asked, frowning as her eyes followed the bird to the Hokage's residence.

"Most likely… Come on. Let's check it out." She said. Kazuya nodded and jumped off the water tower, Kotori following behind him. They raced down the street before arriving at the Hokage's building, where several other Jounin had already taken up space.

"Kakashi," Kotori exclaimed, seeing the silver-haired Jounin leaning on a doorframe with a book in hand, "You stayed here all day?" Kakashi glanced up with his only visible eye.

"Pretty much… Ah, but if you're planning on heading up there to visit Lady Tsunade, I wouldn't do it." He advised, closing his eye in a weak smile.

"Why not?" Kazuya asked, clueless. Kakashi went to reply, but the whole building seemed to shake.

"THEY WHAT?" Tsunade's voice roared.

"Heh… Uh…" Kakashi pointed toward the staircase that led to the Hokage's floor, Tsunade storming down the steps in a slip of paper and Shizune trailing after her with a groan, Ton-Ton in her arms.

"Lady Tsunade, please, calm down!" She tried, but it was too late. Tsunade stepped into the lobby, throwing the paper across the room.

"You call yourselves sensei? Unbelievable! I found your teams, all right!" She yelled angrily. Kazuya blinked, twisting his hands together a little nervously. Kotori and Kakashi stared at her, feeling slight shiver from Tsunade's outrageous temper. Guy ducked behind Asuma, who sweat dropped while Mayu frowned.

"Your teams- Your damned teams," Tsunade growled, making several of the sensei flinch, "Have taken off, every single one of them, to find Tsukuyomi Ruriko, on their own!" At first, it was silent in the room, Tsunade's eyes blazing as she glared at the sensei, who stared back in shock.

"No way…" Kazuya finally managed.

"All of them?" Kakashi demanded, snapping his book shut. Kotori twitched, then clenched her fists.

"Those brats! Ignorant! Do they have any idea what could happen to them? There are all kinds of criminals out there! What if they get killed?" She yelled, making Kazuya jump at her side.

"Kotori's got a point," Mayu stated with a frown, "After the incident in the Land of Snow, a lot of villages were put on high alert to be aware of Kotaro." Kotori visibly flinched. Kakashi sighed quietly, then looked at Tsunade.

"What else did that message have to say?" He asked. Tsunade seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Who was it even sent by?" Kazuya asked, peeking at the paper. Tsunade huffed, holding the paper out and folding her arm under her other arm.

"Uchiha Koyuki and Saki Kishi. They're in Iwagakure, hiding out from Akatsuki, who send someone to chase after them. They did the smart thing in fleeing. Akatsuki is much too dangerous. However, they informed me that they have received some information from a man named Kaiga of the Mountains. They can't meet us here, though, because there's a possibility that, from what they told me, there may be an Akatsuki member waiting for them outside the village. I'm going to send a team of four high skilled Jounin to-"

"Lady Tsunade," Kotori cut in quickly, "If you haven't already chosen those Jounin, please consider putting in on that squad. I have to…" Her voice trailed. Kakashi let his eye drift to her before looking back at Tsunade, who frowned, then nodded.

"Hatake Kakashi, Kuromura Kotori, Tsukuyomi Kazuya, and Hitsuki Mayu. I'm sending you all on a mission to retrieve the kunoichi who are in Iwagakure… However," Tsunade added with a frown, "The other teams are to be left alone."

"What?" Kotori and Mayu demanded at once. Tsunade waved out her hand.

"Shut up! First off, we don't know where the hell they are and I forbid a global search! If we look around for them, we'll alert other enemies to our situation! If you come across them, by all means, bring them back immediately for further punishment, but right now, our main focus is the group in Iwagakure, understood? End of discussion! You have a week to bring them back!" She added and spun on her heel, stomping away and leaving little cracks in the tiled floor.

"Well," Kazuya began carefully, "We can't waste anymore time. We have to hurry if we're going to match her deadline."

"Ugh," Kotori spun on her heel at last, "I can't believe this…! When I get my hands on them…!" Kakashi sighed, following with Kazuya trailing at his heels and Mayu beside him.

"Calm down," Kakashi suggested, catching up with Kotori, "They probably considered not even telling us… It's a good thing they did or they could've been hurt. Be thankful they're not." Kotori looked at him, biting on her lower lip before she sighed.

"I can't believe they did this, though," Mayu muttered, "They should have known it was dangerous and not to mention that Lady Tsunade would be angry."

"The least they could have done was mention it to us." Kazuya said quietly. Kakashi sighed.

"With everyone getting angry, no wonder they never mentioned anything. I'll admit, I'm not happy at all with the rash decision, but they obviously care enough to break the rules."

"Funny coming from you." Kotori said under her breath. Kakashi closed his eye in a smile. Kazuya averted his eyes, twirling the random long strand of dark hair to his left around his finger.

"Well, if we're going, we might as well get some information on Iwagakure." He pointed out.

"We'll pick up a file on the way out… Kazuya, you don't have much of a reaction by the situation." Kakashi noted, glancing at him. Kazuya blinked, jumping a little before laughing nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, heh. I sort of expected something like this to happen… It's not like Akira to sit back and take things. He's probably the one who opened his big mouth to your teams." He admitted. Kotori puckered her lips in distaste, narrowing her eyes.

"He's dead." She stated. Kakashi sweat dropped.

"Shoulda seen that coming."

"And you're not mad at him?" Mayu asked, raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on her hip. Kazuya shrugged a little, averting his eyes.

"I'm glad Akira did something, unlike Lady Tsunade… But even so, Akira shouldn't have gathered up the rest of the Chuunin and Jounin. I'm really sorry about that. If you want, you can take it out on me. Just don't bother with Akira." He added quietly. Kakashi sighed.

"You know you can't protect Akira, or Ruriko for that matter, for very long." He pointed out. Kazuya beamed at him anyway.

"I know, but it's worth a shot!"

"Anyone ever tell you that you're like a ball of sunshine?" Mayu asked, averting her eyes and laughing a bit. Kotori smirked lightly while Kakashi shook his head. The group didn't waste anymore time before shooting off and grabbing a file of information on Iwagakure. Moments after they were out of the village, racing at full speed through the wooded area outside Konohagakure, moving northeast.

"According to the information," Kazuya said, pushing off a branch and moving along side Kotori and Mayu, "Iwagakure is having a festival to celebrate the Tsuchikage's birthday… It doesn't say which one."

"Probably his trillionth." Kotori snickered, waving a hand in her face. Mayu laughed. Kakashi and Kazuya sweat dropped before Kakashi nodded for Kazuya to continue.

"Unfortunately, from the looks of the file, the festival is going to be pretty big and it's going to cause a bit of a jam… If you think about it, anyone could get in." Kazuya murmured, glancing up.

"Even Akatsuki." Kakashi filled in with a grimace and an exasperated sigh. Kotori flinched.

"Great, we need to hurry then. We have to get to them before whoever was chasing them does." She advised.

"Let's just hope they're not advertising themselves." Mayu muttered with a slight wince.

**IWAGAKURE**

"Ahh, this is a good break," Ayaka declared, sipping her drink before setting it down to take a bite of her food, "No obnoxious Akatsuki members, no high speed chases…"

"I have to agree," Honoka sighed, relaxing back on the recliner chair of their hotel room, "I could get used to this."

"Don't get too comfy," Mai said, coming out of the bathroom with a towel drying her wet white hair and letting it fall on her shoulder and the towel around her body, "We have to be alert in the Akatsuki does find a way into Iwagakure." Ayaka jumped a little, whipping around to face her with a twitchy smile and accusing finger.

"Says the girl who just spent a whole hour soaking in the hot tub!" She snapped. Mai's eyes flickered, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

"I'm really starting to hate you." She muttered. Honoka sweat dropped, sitting up quickly, waving her hands as if to surrender.

"Come on, guys. We've only been here for an hour and you've already started fighting." She sighed.

"Hmph," Mai turned her back, heading to the bedroom, "As if I have time to waste on arguments." Ayaka glared after her, about to get to her feet, but Honoka caught her by the back of her kimono and pulled her backwards to sit beside her.

"Why don't you finish your food first?" Honoka suggested with a little sweet smile. Ayaka pushed her lips into an annoyed pout, but her comical expression vanished as the door to their hotel room opened to reveal Koyuki and Kishi, looking pretty exhausted.

"Whoa, what happened?" Honoka asked, her eyes widening.

"The festival happened," Koyuki groaned and fell to her knees in the living room, resting flat on the floor, snuggling the carpet, "Smells like noodles…" Kishi sweat dropped and took a seat on the couch, sitting cross-legged.

"What exactly happened?" Ayaka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We had to get through a lot of guards and crowds on the way here," Kishi said quietly, watching Koyuki moan about the pain in her legs, "It's almost hard to get through… What bothers me is there are so many people that Koyuki and I had to link arms or we'd get lost, which means anybody could be hiding in the crowd."

"Great," Ayaka muttered, "Our resting time is over already."

"We need to keep all the windows and doors locked, our guards up." Honoka stated. Kishi nodded in agreement, then looked at Koyuki, who sat up on the carpet, sighing.

"Just until our sensei come back, that is." She pointed out. Ayaka twitched.

"You really sent a message to our sensei?" She demanded. Koyuki glared.

"We can't defend ourselves against a bunch of S-ranked criminals." She snapped.

"I think-"

"Calm down," Mai said coming out of the room again, shrugging on her sleeveless black shirt that had the kanji for pain on the back, "They'll probably just be glad we're alive, as they should if they really cared."

"Mai's right." Koyuki agreed immediately with a confident nod. Ayaka huffed. Honoka sighed and Kishi sweat dropped.

Outside the hotel, two figures finally burst into the hotel lobby.

"HOLYSHIT, hmm! I could barely breath!" Deidara panted for air, waving a hand in his face. Sasori twitched, then brushed off his black yukata.

"Whatever you do, don't drop that disguise, no matter how much chakra it takes up," He scolded under his breath, "Or else you'll probably be recognized immediately"

"I'm not stupid, hmm!" Deidara snorted and flipped his dark hair over his shoulder. The disguised donned was a simple black haired, blue eyed shinobi in a festival sky blue yukata. Sasori, disguised in as a brunette with green eyes in a black yukata, shook his head, his eyes scanning the lobby.

"This is the last hotel with an open room. I'll book us. You look around, find any information you can… Deidara… Deidara!" Sasori snapped, glaring at his teammate, who's eyes had widened at the sight of a couple females heading to the pool outside. Deidara blinked and laughed sheepishly.

"Ahaaaa, right! Got it." He muttered under his breath, grinning before he slipped toward the pool area. Sasori rolled his eyes and went to pay for the hotel.

Meanwhile, Deidara peeked over a wall, grinning widely at the pool that was pretty crowded, but mostly by sun bathing females in bikinis.

"Oh, this is the best mission, you've ever sent me on, Leader-sama, hmm~" He snickered, brushing his hair out his face as he watched a couple females walk by. One would never have assumed he was a criminal being caught in such an act. Which is why Koyuki and Kishi walked right past him without a care in the world, Deidara's eyes immediately locking on them in recognition, his eyes widening and a smirked ripping across his face.

_Well, well… If it isn't two of those eavesdropping kunoichi… They stand out, not wearing suits, but that doesn't matter because they're about to get their asses kicked, hmm~_ He thought and reached into his pocket, taking out a handful of clay into the mouth on his left hand. The mouth chewed it up before spitting it up with a single hand sign. A spider-like creature skidded on the ground, then scuttled after the kunoichi.

Deidara smirked, then whipped around and snuck back inside, however, once again getting distracted by the amount of kunoichi flowing into the pool area.

"Damn, I forgot how many cute girls there are in this place, hmm." Deidara muttered, blushing hotly.

At the gates of Iwagakure, Kakashi was smooth talking his way in. The guards were making a big deal about this mission, but they finally agreed, allowing the Jounin to shoot past them… Okay, maybe not shoot, but take one step before they were met with a huge crowd.

"Holy…" Kotori's voice trailed, her jaw dropping.

"This place is crowded." Mayu managed, her wide eyes scanning the crowds. Kazuya frowned, shifting uncomfortably.

"Way too crowded." He mumbled, getting smashed in between Kotori and Kakashi as the people packed themselves in like sardines. Kakashi sighed, sweat dropping as he was slammed into Kazuya, who slammed into Kotori, who in turn smashed into Mayu, who hit a wall.

"For gods' sake! I can't even breath! Ack! MY FOOT!" Mayu gasped, her face practically in Kotori's back. Kotori winced.

"Sorry- OW. KAZUYA. You just elbowed my boob!"

"AH! I'm sorry!" Kazuya whined, blushing lightly, his face a comical expression of embarrassment before he was pinched with the metal of Kakashi's gloves.

"Sorry, Kazuya." Kakashi apologized with a sweat drop, then winced as he was shoved harder, smashing the train of Jounin even further into the wall.

"Argh! Now you're pinching my ribs!" Kotori wailed and settled for pushing her arms against Kazuya's back to protect her torso. Kazuya went red.

"I feel terrible, but it's not my fault!" He complained.

"KOTORI! I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HAIR OUT OF MY MOUTH!" Mayu sang into Kotori's ear, making her jerk her head forward into Kazuya's, who hit it on Kakashi's. A series of OWs rang out amongst them. Finally, the crowd seemed to surge forward, but dragged the Jounin with them.

"That's it," Kotori proclaimed loudly, making some heads turn around them, "When I get my hands on those brats, I'm going to strangle them!"

"I'm sorry," Kazuya murmured, then closed his eyes as a vein throbbed in his forehead, "But I am so getting pissed off right now…"

"Don't eat humans in a public place." Mayu pointed out with a weak smile, managing to hold up a finger as if to scold him.

"Calm down," Kakashi managed to get out after being elbowed in the gut, his eye twitching, "As soon as the crowd moves again, we'll take the rooftops."

"Hell yea," Kotori agreed, then yelped and her face went hot, "Oh my god."

"What?" The other three Jounin asked. Kotori's face became a comical expression of annoyance, the corner of her mouth twitching.

"Someone just cupped a feel." She stated. Kakashi sweat dropped, glancing out the corner of his eye to find the culprit, but the crowd had moved once again, allowing a breath of air for the four Jounin to shoot from the crowd and land on a rooftop.

"WORST EXPERIENCE EVER." Kazuya declared, leaning on his knees and panting for air.

"Yea, I think I'd have to agree." Mayu muttered, brushing herself off. Kakashi sucked in a few deep breathes, Kotori twitching.

"Agh. That was so awkward."

"Sorry." Kazuya mumbled. Kotori smirked at him, about to make a comment before Kakashi interrupted.

"Anyway," Kakashi cleared his throat, "We can't waste anymore time. That long lasted almost an hour. We have to find them and fast… It'll be better if we split up, each taking a section of the village. I'll go north, Kotori south, Kazuya east, and Mayu west."

"Sounds good." Mayu said with a nod.

"Agreed." Kazuya managed, finally catching his breath.

"How do we keep in touch?" Kotori asked, raising an eyebrow and her answer was Kakashi placing a headset in her palms as well as the others. They all nodded in agreement at the idea and shot off in different directions.

The mission was a go.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I got hilarious images for the last part with the Jounin. :'D I hope I'm not the only one that laughed… Oo; Uh, I don't have much else to say… Except, I really hope the characters are still in character! TwT! Thanks so much for reading and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	35. Chapter 35

**I AM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE. D':!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Akumu**

**Inori**

**Shiôrisha Usagi**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

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Chapter Thirty-Five: **I Am Sorry to Inform You That There Is No Vacation!**

"Deidara! What the HELL are you doing?" Sasori demanded angrily, his eye twitching as he watched Deidara sit in the hot tub outside the hotel, two girls on either side of him. Deidara yelped, then glared.

"Sasori! I thought you were…!"

"I did get us hotel and I was looking everywhere for you. Never mind that, get out. We have trouble." Sasori ordered. Deidara scowled at him, then gave the girls a little wave, making them giggle as he hopped out, scooping up his yukata and following Sasori with comically puckered lips and an expression of displeasure.

"I was busy there, hmm. What's important-"

"Konoha Jounin." Sasori deadpanned. Deidara blinked, then rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.

"So unfair. How did they ever get in? It should've taken them hours, hmm." He complained. Sasori ignored him, his eyes scanning and his guard up. They could be anywhere. Would they be noticeable?

A salmon-haired woman bolted past, elbowing Sasori on the way and stumbling a little.

"Sorry!" She yelled over her shoulder and ran on. Sasori sweat dropped.

"That was fast." He muttered under his breath, giving the Konoha Jounin a nod. Deidara looked at him, a question marking blinking above his head before his eyes caught Kotori heading down the hall, his eyes widening.

"Ohhh… Wow, they didn't bother hiding, hmm." He mused. Sasori shook his head and grabbed Deidara's arm, making him whip around as they moved out of the lobby, heading up the stairs toward the rooms.

"That means those brats are nearby. Keep an eye out- DEIDARA." He snapped and gave Deidara's arm a jerk. Deidara was staring toward a couple of kunoichi that were walking down the hall, his eyes wide.

"Deidara-"

"Sasori, that's that girl…! Her- Shit, what was her name, hmm?" Deidara looked down at the floor for a split second before glancing back up. The kunoichi coming down the hall were arguing. The first one had wild red hair, choppy on wide side, the other side brushed. She wore a white jacket with a turtleneck collar and long sleeves, but a bikini bottom with it. The other wore a loose orchid purple yukata over a matching bikini, her long dark hair tied up in a ponytail.

"It's about time you dressed like a woman! If you ever think you're going to catch guys dressed like one of them, you're wrong." The red-haired girl was ranting. The other rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up, Karin. I'm not interested in that. Right now I'm just interested in _your_ cupcake trying to kill me." She snapped. Karin twitched, blushing a little pink then with a dazed smile.

"Cupcake~ That has a nice ring to it~" She giggled and the other girl just twitched and stuck her finger in her mouth, pretending to gag. They walked on by, carrying out their conversation, Deidara watching them.

"Quit screwing around," Sasori muttered, "They're just a couple of gossips."

"No, I'm serious! I know the one with the dark hair! That shop that Kisame and I went to, the one in the place with the stuff, remember, hmm?"

"No."

"Argh! Shit, I can't remember… I know she said her name… Ru something, hmm- Ow!" Deidara yelped as Sasori grabbed the back of his yukata dragging him.

"We don't have time for this. Our mission was to infiltrate, find those eavesdropping kunoichi and kill them. Simple as that." Sasori scolded, dragging him down the hallway to search the rooms. Meanwhile, heading down to the pool, Karin was giggling.

"Sasuke was so cute when he was sleeping, were you watching him? Oh, he didn't look so mean~" She was cooing as they took a seat on their chairs. Ruriko flopped down, huffing as she folded her arms over her chest, keeping her yukata wrapped around her.

"Che. Okay, so what if he's cute while he's sleeping? He's a jerk while he's awake." She retorted. Who wouldn't admit to Sasuke looking so exhausted that he just fell right on the bed asleep was adorable? He didn't look like an evil, I'm-going-to-maul-your-face-off criminal… Even so, it was hard to stay cooing for long if the guy has beaten you to a bloody pulp more than once.

"Ahh, finally some relaxation time, though," Karin muttered, her eyes flickering across the pool area, "Good thing we got in just before the crowd."

"I guess… Ugh, I'm still peeved. There's no cute little boy to keep me happy." Ruriko muttered bitterly. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Oh quit it. You're already acting like an old biddy."

"Shut up! Tch, change of subject. How's your arm?" Ruriko asked, glancing at her out the corner of her eye. Karin blinked, crinkled her nose, then rubbed the arm over her shirt.

"Eh… Your teeth almost hit my bone. Why'd you sharpen them anyway?" She demanded. Ruriko grinned.

"Good friend of mind suggested it." She replied.

"When I get my hands on this person…" Karin's voice trailed as she clenched her fists and huffed, slamming them down in her lap. Ruriko smirked, then glanced up with a little sigh, watching people swim and walk around.

"Hmph… It pisses me off, still. I am never, ever giving anyone my word again." She stated confidently. Karin raised an eyebrow.

"How do I know you'll stick by _that_ huh?"

"I give you my word that I will never give my word again!"

"You just gave your word then."

"… Karin, has anyone ever told you that you're the most annoying brat on the planet?" Ruriko deadpanned. Karin glared and looked the other way. Both girls huffed and looked in opposite directions. It lasted for a tad bit longer before Karin started scanning the pool.

"So… You lookin' for a boyfriend?" She asked. Ruriko laughed out loud.

"Me? A boyfriend? Haha… No way," She muttered, frowning, "I'm too busy trying to keep myself alive. There's no time for it."

"Aw, come on. You're a woman! Us women need to have some guy we're after! I mean, Sasuke's mine," Karin drawled, earning a raised eyebrow from Ruriko, "And you…? Suigetsu said you had something for Itachi, right?" Ruriko twitched, going slightly pink, her eye twitching.

"Eh, uh… That's not official. And it'd be pointless," She added, averting her eyes, "The only reason I'm here is so I can lead Sasuke to Itachi… To kill him. Not so Sasuke can say oh hey, this girl? She really likes you. And besides, Sasuke had a point when I talked to him a while back… I don't know Itachi enough to say that I like him that much."

"It's called love at first sight, duh!"

"Oh, and you would know." Ruriko rolled her eyes as Karin scowled. They sat in more silence, scanning the pool. Ruriko's eyes landed on a familiar pair of people standing across the pool area, her eyes widening.

"Oh shit." She stated. Karin frowned, following her eyes.

"What…?" Her eyes locked on Ruriko's target. Or rather, targets. Two kunoichi were being confronted by a salmon haired Jounin. The two kunoichi were Koyuki and Kishi, looking at the frantically yelling Jounin in shock, their faces pale.

"Kuromura Kotori, Uchiha Koyuki, and Saki Kishi," Ruriko muttered, "What're they doing here?" Karin glared, throwing her legs over the side of her chair.

"I don't know, but if they're here, so is trouble… Wait a minute, Kuromura?" She asked. Ruriko blinked, then frowned.

"I don't know… Now that I think about it, they do look alike… I wonder if they're twins…" She murmured. Karin snorted.

"Don't go up there asking her. She'll probably recognize you in an instant and take you back. So far, you've kept a low profile. Keep it that way unless you want Sasuke to beat you again." She advised. Ruriko twitched, then scowled at her.

"Shut up. You act like Sasuke has me whipped! Come on, we have to go back to the room." She said and got to her feet. Karin whined.

"This sucks. Damn rescue teams have to ruin everything." She huffed, getting to her feet and walking along side Ruriko as they went inside the hotel. Across the pool, the exclamation was in flailing mode.

"I can't believe you! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be running after criminals?" Kotori demanded angrily. Koyuki flinched and Kishi grimaced a little.

"Sensei-"

"You could have died," Kotori went on, "There's all sorts of criminals out there that would take any chance to destroy inexperienced Chuunin! That was reckless! And not to mention, it was hell trying to get in here! This place is full of perverts!"

"Eh?" Kishi sweat dropped. Koyuki went pink.

"Uh, Kotori-sensei-"

"Kakashi, Kazuya, and Mayu and I were literally jammed into a wall! I mean, this guy's hand came out of nowhere! What if someone had tried to molest you, huh? Good god, I can't even imagine that! You should have at least taken Osamu and Eiji with you- Where the hell are they?" Kotori demanded, putting her hands on her hips. Kishi and Koyuki stared at her, looking completely confused and still shocked from being hit with so many statements and questions at once.

"Uh," Koyuki managed, blinking away the surprise, "They're not with us…?"

"What?"

"Sensei," Kishi jumped in quickly, "We were split up into different groups. Osamu's with Akira, Nero, Kasumi, Daisuke, Ryuuko, and Kin. Eiji's with Kai, Sora, Naruto, and Sakura…"

"WHERE?" Kotori cried, practically on the verge of pummeling them.

"Osamu's group went northeast, toward the Land of Snow and Eiji's group went to Kirigakure!" Koyuki flailed. Kotori blinked, looking at them before groaning.

"Are you kidding me? More traveling? Kuh, wait till Lady Tsunade hears about this…" She muttered. Kishi and Koyuki both jumped at the thought, flinching.

"All right," Kotori sighed, exhausted from yelling as she rubbed her throat a little, "Never mind that. It's time for us to get outta here. I'm gonna drop you off at the village and go after Osamu and Eiji. After that… Well, let's not think about that yet."

"And you wonder why we didn't tell you in the first place…" Koyuki murmured, earning a smack upside the head, making her yelp.

"Come on. We have to go find the rest of your little group… Oh, and Kakashi, Kazuya, and Mayu. I hope they're still alive." Kotori added, shaking out her hand as she glanced up at the hotel building with a suspicious frown. The atmosphere had suddenly changed from a cheery vacation spot to something much more dangerous.

Just inside the hotel, Deidara and Sasori were walking down the hallway, taking their time as they peeked into rooms.

"This is going to take forever," Sasori muttered, glancing at a couple of teenagers that raced on by, laughing their heads off, "They could be anywhere and we already have trouble brewing with those Jounin here… We'll just search a little longer, then ditch the place-… Deidara, what are you doing?" Deidara was clasping a handful of clay in his fist, a smirk on his face.

"Keh, this is gonna be perfect, hmm~ The best example of art ever." He said with a confident nod. Sasori rolled his eyes.

"Best example my ass… You're just trying to start something."

"Am not. I'm just stating a simple fact that any moron could understand, hmm." Deidara replied innocently, then yelped when Sasori kicked him in the hands.

"Sasori!"

"See what happens when you piss me off? How many times do we have to go over this? You babble like a child and-"

"SASORI, that was a bomb, hmm!"

"… And?"

"And I was setting…! Oh, never mind! Let's just get away from this floor as fast as possible, hmm." Deidara muttered, scrambling to his feet. Sasori sighed and went after him, moving more slowly. Behind them, a little figure in the shape of a person sat against a wall with a demented smile made into its face with a fingernail, its eyes were X's and it was shivering a little.

Deidara and Sasori made it to the third floor of the five story hotel. Outside, Kotori, Koyuki, and Kishi were moving inside. On the second floor, Ruriko and Karin were just walking into their room and on the third floor, where the little clay figure sat, Ayaka was just stepping out of her room.

_Giggle… Giggle…_ The little clay dolls smile stretched out along its face, its eyes bulging Xs.

_Giggle, giggle…_

_CRACK-KUH-BOOM!_

Deidara jerked his head up and grinned as the building shook, Sasori frowning as he glanced upwards. Walking in, Kotori yelped. Koyuki and Kishi gasped, jerking their heads up.

"Mai! Ayaka and Honoka! They're still up there!" Koyuki gasped. Kishi winced. Kotori gritted her teeth.

"I knew I felt something bad." She muttered and bolted for the stairs, running past Deidara and Sasori, who went up against the wall to let her pass. Koyuki went up last, her eyes flicking to the side and meeting Deidara's. Deidara grinned. Koyuki gasped automatically and shot up the stairs.

"Heh. Too late now, hmm~" Deidara sang, glancing at Sasori, who rolled his eyes. Upon the second floor, Ruriko and Karin had cursed at once, having jumped away from each other as a chunk of ceiling crashed between them.

"Shit! What the hell was that?" Karin yelled, waving the dust out of her face. Ruriko coughed, covering her mouth as she looked at the rubble and peeked up to see the sunlight pouring in through the gaping whole that the bomb created.

"I have no idea, but at least we don't have to worry about waking up Sasuke…" She muttered under her breath.

On the third floor, dust and smoke swept up in huge clouds. Rocky walls and tiled floors were cracked or shattered, making piles of debris. Honoka grimaced, lifting her head off the floor to touch a cut by her temple. She pushed herself up on her hands and knees, groaning.

"Agh… Ayaka! Mai!" She yelled, then yelped as chunks of ceiling came down at her. She rolled out of the way, scrambling to her feet. She slid past a fallen wall, crawling for a bit before standing back up to listen.

"Shit! What the hell?" Ayaka's voice yelled from somewhere. Honoka perked up and ran in the direction of her twin's voice. She managed to see Ayaka sitting on a pile of rubble, holding her ankle. She winced as she made out a very visible bone splicing her skin.

"Ayaka! Ayaka, are you all right?"

"My ankle… Something fell on it… What about you?" Ayaka called back to her over the rubble between them. Honoka nodded.

"I'm fine… I just have a few cuts and bruises. Where's Mai?"

"I don't know! Do you have any idea what just happened?" Ayaka demanded. Honoka frowned, glancing around, then back.

"I think Akatsuki found us. Look, just wait there and I'll go get some help." She said calmly. Ayaka snorted, but didn't argue, keeping her position. Honoka nodded and moved through the debris, grimacing as the cuts on her body stung. She managed to make it out, stumbling into the ruined hallway. She gasped a little at the pain searing up her legs as they were scraped on her way out. She limped a little, hearing some people yelling downstairs. Honoka stumbled, catching her balance at the top of the stairs just as Kotori came hopping over.

"Well, that was fast." Kotori stated, her eyes wide. Koyuki and Kishi hopped over after her.

"Honoka! Where's Ayaka and Mai?" Koyuki demanded, glancing over her shoulder. Honoka pointed a finger in Ayaka's direction, wincing.

"Ayaka's over there, she's kind of stuck… Her ankle's snapped…" Her voice drifted. Kotori frowned.

"All right," She said, turning to Koyuki and Kishi, "Kishi, take Honoka downstairs and away from the mass. Koyuki, look for survivors in the rubble." With that Kotori went through the rubble, careful not to scrape herself. She coughed a little as chunks of rock hit the ground, stirring up dust. She waved a hand in her face and managed to see a glimpse of Ayaka, looking up at the ceiling with an expression of concern.

"Ayaka?" Kotori called. Ayaka looked up.

"Hey! Be careful, I think there's somebody on the roof!" She yelled. Kotori frowned and jerked her head up. She could hear it clearly, the gentle _tmp-tmp-tmp_ of someone moving quickly. She squinted to see past the cracks in the ceiling and saw a flash of what looked like a black cloak with a red cloud. She flinched and looked at Ayaka, holding a finger to her lips. Ayaka blinked, then nodded. Kotori flinched when she saw Ayaka's ankle and immediately looked the other way, only to look at Kazuya, who had appeared beside her out of nowhere with Mayu at his side.

"Up…" Kotori whispered and pointed up. Mayu tilted her head a little, frowning. Kazuya nodded and gestured with his thumb for Kotori to assist Koyuki. Kotori sighed quietly and nodded before moving back through the rubble, quieter this time. Kazuya looked at Mayu, who frowned.

"We have to get Ayaka out of there… There's an opening just behind her from the roof and anybody could get in." He explained quietly. Mayu nodded, her eyes scanning the area.

"All right… Looks like there's a small space just over there. Cover me and I'll try and get through to Ayaka." She said. Kazuya nodded, but just as Mayu moved, he grabbed her arm and jerked her back as a pile of ceiling crackled and fall in front of them.

"Holy…!" Mayu flinched. Kazuya grimaced.

"Looks like they found us." He stated, jerking his head up to hear laughter. Suddenly, a small round thing of clay flew in, two little wings sticking off it. It rolled across the ground. Kazuya frowned. Mayu's eyes widened.

"It's a bomb! Move!" She ordered. They both leapt backwards.

"Ayaka, put your head down!" Mayu yelled and the bomb went off sending the Jounin off their feet and the building shaking. The ceiling cracked some more, caving inwards. Kazuya dodged to the side and scrambled onto a chunk of ceiling, breathing hard. Mayu darted off to the side, ducking as ceiling fell around her. She jerked her head up, peering over at Kazuya.

"Kazuya! Grab Ayaka! I'm going to try and crash this section!" She called. Kazuya nodded and managed to get over to Ayaka now that some of the rubble in the way had been knocked away. Ayaka grimaced as Kazuya lifted her up.

"Holy crap, you're tall." She managed, her eye twitching. Kazuya smiled a little, then jumped up through the hole in the roof, skidding back just in time to avoid a slash with a kunai. He flinched, holding Ayaka in his arms tightly as Deidara smirked, putting a hand on his hip, standing on the other side of the hole in the roof.

"Nice move. Any slower and I would've cut her head off, hmm." He replied. Ayaka yelped.

"You! That's one of the guys from Akatsuki!" She exclaimed, looking up at Kazuya, who frowned.

"Just what we need in a crowded village." Kazuya sighed.

"I know," Deidara muttered, "Trouble after trouble and this damned place is so packed with people, I almost swallowed someone's elbow in my mouth, hmm."

"I hate crowds." Kazuya agreed under his breath, averting his eyes. Ayaka groaned.

"Don't go agreeing with him! Kick his ass!" She protested. Kazuya sweat dropped.

"Not all ninja are bloodthirsty, ya know-"

"Quit babbling already," Deidara yelled, stomping his foot, "I'm killing both of you and everyone else in this hotel, so get ready for the biggest fireworks display in honor of the Tsuchikage's hundredth billionth birthday, hmm!" He reached into the pouch on his hip. Kazuya grimaced.

"Ayaka, I'm going to have to set you down for a bit. Be careful." He told her. Ayaka nodded, her face going a slight little pink as Kazuya set her down before immediately bolting forward. Deidara winced and jolted back, swinging his hand with the kunai out.

Kazuya ducked and swung back up, grabbing Deidara's arm and jerking him forward so their foreheads smashed together. Deidara yelped and tore backwards, clasping a hand over his forehead.

"Agh! Ow!" He cursed and swung his palm out, the mouth on it spitting out the glob of clay. Kazuya blinked past the blood that was dripping down his forehead before his eyes widened. He back flipped and got in front of Ayaka.

"Get ready." He told her. Ayaka covered her head as the clay exploded. Kazuya gasped, wincing in pain as the blast ripped the back of his flak jacket and skin. He grimaced and managed to stumble back, whipping around to make hand signs.

A huge blast of wind rushed forward, lashing about like whips. Deidara smirked and moved fast, back flipping and skidding across the surface of the roof. Kazuya took a step forward, but an explosion from underneath him made him gasp and his foot went through the roof. Deidara laughed.

"Well, _that_ was convenient! I'll just kick you through the roof, hmm~" He taunted and walked up to him. Ayaka whipped around, jerking out a kunai and thrusting it forward.

"Kazuya-sensei!" She yelled. Kazuya looked up and caught the kunai just in time to slash at Deidara's legs. Deidara winced and leapt up over it, smirking as he landed back down to grab Kazuya's wrist. Kazuya stared at him, watching, watching-

He lunged forward and bit down on Deidara's arm. Deidara's eyes went wide before he gasped and jerked. Kazuya swung his arm around and slashed Deidara across the face before he reeled away, taking off skin in his mouth. He quickly spat it out, making a face in the process as Deidara jumped away.

"You bit me!" Deidara cried, holding his bloody arm and glaring. Kazuya wiped his mouth, smearing the blood on his cheek as he pushed on the roof, jerking himself out of the hole quickly to do a back flip and thrust the kunai in his hand forward. Deidara dodged to the side and whipped around with clay in his free hand.

Kazuya ducked down, scooping Ayaka into his arms.

"Hold on tight."

"Wait-What're you doing? We're on the fourth floor!" Ayaka protested, but Kazuya pushed off the side of the roof, jumping just as Deidara's clay hit the surface, causing a huge black explosions. Kazuya clamped his hand over Ayaka's mouth and nose as they sailed downwards, the black smoke swirling around them. Kazuya held his breath and they slammed into the ground. Both gasped out loud in pain as they rolled slightly and went into the pool. By now, bystanders were screaming and fleeing the scene.

Kazuya's head popped out of the water, Ayaka in his arm.

"Holy shit…" Ayaka muttered. Kazuya panted a little, looking up a bit tiredly.

"You didn't breath any of that stuff in, did you?" He asked. Ayaka shook her head. Kazuya sighed with relief, then pulled themselves onto the edge of the pool.

"Good… Because it made me numb." He added. Ayaka frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but looked up as Mayu, Kotori, Kishi, Honoka, Koyuki, and Mai came running out of the hotel.

"Kazuya! What the hell happened?" Kotori demanded, coming over to help him stand, only to have him stumble a little and lean on her. He smiled weakly.

"Nothin' much… Breathed in some bad air…" He replied.

"That guy threw something at us that had poison in it," Ayaka informed them as Mayu lifted her onto her back, "Kazuya-sensei breathed some in…"

"It's fine," Kazuya said, waving his hand at Kotori's glare, "Just a little numbness… I'll be fine in an hour or so."

"You're lucky Kakashi showed up at the last minute because there's no way I can carry you." Kotori sighed. Kazuya sweat dropped.

"Wait, so is everyone okay?" He asked, scanning them.

"Just peachy." Mai muttered sarcastically, holding her arm, which was bloody while her cheek was bruised.

"We should leave," Mayu advised with a frown, glancing up at the hotel, "It looks pretty dangerous if we stick around here. Kakashi's waiting inside, informing some guy about the situation."

"At least we're alive." Koyuki sighed.

"And in trouble." Kishi added quietly by the glare they received from the Jounin.

"Oh, to hell. You guys are going to get it worse from Lady Tsunade." Mayu huffed, but she smiled a little as Ayaka rested her head on her back sleepily, yawning.

"Let's just go back home… This has been enough excitement for one day." Kotori muttered, helping Kazuya limp back into the hotel.

"You guys looked like you had fun." Kakashi commented at the sight of them.

"Huh!" Ayaka snorted. Honoka and Koyuki sweat dropped. Mai shook her head in annoyance before looking the other way. Kishi covered her face, mostly to hide a yawn as she kept by Kotori's side.

"I take it we're not sticking around for the festival." Kazuya blurted.

"Hell no!" Several of them yelled before sweat dropping. Kazuya sighed tiredly. The rest of the group seemed just as exhausted as they exited the hotel, using the rooftops to get to the entrance. Meanwhile, on the second floor…

"Oh, this is just fucking great. How're we supposed to get out of here?" Karin demanded angrily as she glared at the blocked off hallway. Ruriko shrugged and gestured to Sasuke, who was rubbing the sleep from his eye.

"As your cupcake. He ought to know." She huffed. Sasuke blinked and glared at her for the nickname while Suigetsu snickered into the palm of his hand. Juugo sighed, averting his eyes as he ran a hand through his orange hair.

"Hmph!" Karin blushed wildly, trying to hide her smug smirk. Sasuke rolled his eyes and swung his hand forward.

"You guys are idiots." With that, the rubble exploded forth, crashing through windows and blasting the end of the hallway right out. Ruriko blinked.

"Uwah… I am never waking you up." She stated. Karin sweat dropped, twitching a little.

"Let's get out of here," Sasuke muttered, "Someone obviously likes causing trouble…" His eyes drifted to Ruriko, who glared at him.

"And just what is that look for?" She demanded angrily. Suigetsu groaned, covering his ears.

"Not again! You guys bicker like an old married couple!" He complained.

"You're one to talk!" Sasuke and Ruriko snapped in unison, glaring at Suigetsu, who twitched in annoyance. The group eventually made their way out of the hotel, taking a shorter route out of the village and avoiding the patrolling Jounin that walked the village's outer rim.

It seems the Tsuchikage wasn't all that pleased to have one of his most popular hotels blown up on his birthday.

**Kirigakure**

"Master Akumu," A brunette kunoichi with gray eyes murmured, watching the sun slide behind the tree line, "I feel a powerful chakra approaching the village…" Her voice drifted as she glanced down at the man beside her. The man's maroon eyes studied the horizon.

"I can sense it as well…" He agreed quietly and glanced out the corner of his eye at his other partner, a tall teenager turquoise hair styled over his eye and pretty much 'gothic' styled matching his dark cerulean eyes.

"Tch… Strong chakra means nothing." He retorted, jerking his head to the side stubbornly. The female huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, shut up, Usagi… You can sense the danger as well." She scolded. Usagi snorted in response. Akumu smacked his hand to his face.

"Both of you shut up," He ordered, earning obedient nods from them before looking up, "It's approaching quickly. Be on your guard unless you wish to end up like my last team."

Both shinobi gulped and looked up. There, in the distance came a group of shinobi, the had of their group a blonde haired, blue-eyed teenager wearing a black and orange jumpsuit and yelling at the top of his lungs:

"NARUTO IS HERE!"

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**A/N: Sorry if this seems like it goes all over the place, but my ideas kept crashing around and lack of sleep just killed me. -_-; Not to mention, school is starting up soon and it's got me pretty peeved off. : / Yea, I created more OCs… -3- I can't help it, they're so fun to make. :'D So, the next part is about Naruto, Eiji, Sora, Kai, and Sakura. C: I can't leave them out! xD Well, thank you very much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are super loved!**


	36. Chapter 36

**WOOOOOOOOO. UPDATE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for:**

**The Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Akumu**

**Inori**

**Shiôrisha Usagi**

**Roku**

**Nero**

**A/N: THIRD POV**

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Chapter Thirty-Six: **Akumu the Sage of Poison! Pinned Down Criminals!**

"NARUTO IS HERE!" The obnoxious blondie hollered, leaping over the small hill before landing at the bottom to stand up tall and proud. Behind him, a pink haired kunoichi waltzed up and smacked him over the head with her gloved fist.

"Put a sock in it, Naruto! We're here on a mission, not a visit." She snapped in annoyance, folding her arms over her chest. Naruto yelped, clasping the back of his head as Kai walked up beside him, sighing.

"You really don't know stealth, do you?" He asked, shaking his head. Eiji, walking at Kai's side, averted his eyes, sighing a little as well.

"At least he's eager." Sora said, coming up at Sakura's side with a sweat drop. Sakura sighed and led the rest of the way to the gates where the three shinobi on guard were waiting.

"Names, please." Inori said with a smile, holding a clipboard. Sakura smiled back, but a bit weakly.

"Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Souh Kai, Akiyama Eiji, and Matsuki Sora." She informed, watching Inori write the names down. She glanced nervously out the corner of her eye at Akumu, who was leaning on the side of the gates, his arms folded. Usagi stood in the opening of the gates, the large jagged edged sword strapped to his back pretty intimidating.

"Origin?" Inori asked, giving her head a little tilt.

"Ah, Konohagakure." Sakura said, her eyes sliding back over to the males. She was curious as to why a nine-year-old was guarding the gates. That was definitely not a job for a Genin!

"All right, one second… Master Akumu." Inori handed the clipboard to Akumu, who scanned it over. Naruto crinkled his nose, studying the young shinobi. His navy blue hair was cut short on one side, longer on the other, but either way his hair was untamed. He dressed more like an adult than a child too.

"Just how old are you kid?" Naruto asked nosily. Kai smacked his forehead, Eiji sweat dropping and Sakura glaring. Sora sighed, exasperated. Akumu twitched slightly, his eyes flicking out the corner his eye in annoyance.

"I'm fifty-eight, brat, now shut up so I can review this." He commanded. A vein throbbed in Naruto's forehead, his fists clenching.

"Who're you calling a brat? Fifty-eight my ass! You look five!" Naruto yelled. Usagi glared at him, thrusting his hand out at him.

"Shut up, kid! Master Akumu doesn't lie!" He snapped. Naruto went to open his mouth, but Sakura grabbed him in a headlock, her eye twitching in irritation.

"You asswipe! Show some respect! Wait…" Sakura didn't stop strangling a gasping and flailing Naruto, looking at Akumu, who pursed his lips and cocked a brow in amusement.

"Akumu? You mean, Akumu the Sage of Poison?" She asked, letting go of Naruto so he hit the ground, knocking up dust. Akumu looked at her a bit curiously.

"I have a title now?" He asked. Sakura beamed, clasping her hands.

"Akumu the Sage of Poison! Your poisons are legendary for having hardly an antidote for them! Your specialty ranges from chloroform to gaseous types! You're legendary in the medical ninjutsu world!" She explained quickly and eagerly. Akumu couldn't stop a smile from crossing his face.

"Is that so? I had no idea. I should really get out more…" He murmured.

"Hmph." Inori jerked her head the other way, puckering her lips in distaste. _She's just so obviously trying to suck up to Master Akumu!_ She thought in annoyance. Naruto huffed, folding his arms over his chest and puffing out his cheeks childishly.

"And you were yelling at Akumu for looking childish." Kai mused. Eiji cracked a smile and Naruto threw his hands up.

"Oh, for the love of gods!" He retorted. Sakura mindlessly smacked him upside the head.

"Eh, guys," Sora pointed out, giving a crooked smile, "The mission?""Oh right," Sakura blinked, dropping her fist in her palm, then beaming at the Kirigakure shinobi, "We would like to find a hotel here… We're sort of on a very important, top secret mission."

"Usagi would be grateful to escort you to the greatest of our hotels." Akumu said, looking at Usagi, who twitched.

"What? Me?"

"Usagi." Akumu stated firmly. Usagi's mouth went half downwards in a disapproving frown, but he bowed his head and glanced at the Konohagakure shinobi as if they were dirt.

"Well, let's go. I don't have all day." He snorted. The Konoha shinobi shared looks, but eventually followed the older male through the village. There were few people in the streets, mostly mothers shopping with small children if any.

"So," Sakura began casually, walking along Usagi, who frowned at her, "Your name is Usagi?"

"Yea. And your name is Sakura. Glad we could chat." Usagi muttered. Sakura glared at him, but said nothing more. Sora sighed, giving her a little pat.

"Ignore guys like that… They're all about their training." She whispered. Sakura smirked, giving a confident nod in return. Usagi rolled his eyes.

"So, that guy back there is serious fifty-eight years old?" Naruto exclaimed. Usagi snorted.

"Duh! Master Akumu is a genius! He could beat you all with a hand tied behind his back." He replied cockily. Naruto glared.

"I beg to differ." He argued.

"Oh, come on," Kai sighed, running a hand through his spiky dark hair, "Let's not argue now, it's a complete waste of breath, Naruto."

"Says you!" Naruto stuck his tongue out. Kai was tempted to grab it and hang on, watching the blondie flail, but there was no way he was touching a slimy tongue like Naruto's. The group walked on in silence before stopping outside a large white bricked building with rainbow windows.

"Wow!" Sakura gasped, placing a hand on her chest as she stared at the beauty before them. Sora blinked, her eyes wide.

"The windows…! They're like rainbows!" She murmured in awe.

"How girly." Kai drawled as a response, although, his eyes were focusing on the nice photograph of one of the rooms on the greeting sign. The bed looked wonderfully comfortable. Eiji scanned the building, surprised at how elaborate the design was as the roof was pointed and almost glass-like. Usagi shrugged it off, obviously not impressed by the monument as he started to lead them inside until a voice called out.

"Eyyy, Usagi-_chan_!" A voice called out. Usagi twitched, going pink. Naruto burst out laughing.

"AHAHAHAHA! CHAN? DID HE JUST CALL YOU CHAN?" He roared.

"Naruto!" Sakura and Sora sighed in exasperation. Usagi scowled at him and the group looked up as a taller, obviously more handsome version of Usagi approached them. His turquoise hair was styled differently than Usagi's. Rather than straight and flippy styled, almost girly like, it was styled somewhat spiky toward the front and a bit longer in the back, flipping up a tad. His dark cerulean eyes were outlined with thick black ink that made almost tear-like trails down his cheeks. He wore a tight black vest with an open collar and matching pants. Strapped to his sides were scalpels about the size of kunai and their silver forms glistening.

"Ohh, what's his name?" Sakura murmured, waving a hand in her face. Sora sweat dropped a little, smiling weakly at Sakura's reaction. Naruto huffed. Usagi scowled.

"He's not important-"

"Name's Idomu," The man greeted cheerfully, laughing, "I'm Usagi-chan's big brother and heir to the most powerful clan in Kirigakure by the name of Shiôrisha."

"Shut up! Don't say that when it's not true!" Usagi snapped angrily. Idomu laughed at him and easily put an arm around Usagi's neck, practically putting him in a chokehold.

"Ignore my baby brother! He's such a hotheaded fool." He chuckled. Sakura blushed, waving her hand at him.

"Oh, can do, can do." She giggled. Sora frowned a little before sighing and tilting her head.

"Quit getting all lovey-dovey." Naruto whined to Sakura, but she smacked her hand into his face, making him stumble into Kai, who yelped when his foot was stepped on.

"Get off me," Usagi squirmed away from his brother, smacking him with his elbow, "I was doing something important for Master Akumu!" Idomu blinked, then chuckled, looking at the group of Konoha shinobi.

"Let me finish this lovely tour for you since Usagi is busy." He replied with a smile. Usagi glared at him.

"I am not busy! Idomu-"

"Ta-TA, baby brother." Idomu jagged Usagi in the ribs none to playfully, a wicked smirk on his face. Sakura beamed.

"Oh, that would be lovely!" She squealed, allowing Idomu to hook his arm with hers, leading her to the hotel. Kai rolled his eyes as Eiji sighed, averting his own eyes while Sora followed Idomu and Sakura into the hotel. Naruto stayed behind with a frown, then glanced at Usagi, who was watching and fuming.

"You're older brother is a bigger jerk than you." He mused. Usagi was seething with rage.

"Shut the hell up! That asshole! I hate him! Who does he think he is declaring that he's the heir to our clan already? Our competition isn't over yet!" He exploded, his face burning red with anger. Naruto blinked.

"Competition?"

"Idomu and I are the eldest sons of our clan, but we both want to be the leader… Our father pitted us against each other… We're supposed to see who can collect the most funding money and he's bound to run to the Mizukage, sucking up to her about how he helped the visitors! Ugh, sometimes I just want to kill him!" Usagi snarled. Naruto's eyes flashed and he frowned, turning to him.

"Don't say that. He's your brother." He stated. Usagi frowned at him.

"Oh, what the hell do you know about it?" He demanded.

"Because. I have a friend, who's like a brother to me… He's out there, making bad choices… Because he wants to kill his brother… You should respect Idomu as your brother, but beat him in the competition fair and square. A real shinobi doesn't kill their family…" Naruto's voice drifted. Usagi stared at him, then averted his eyes, his expression grim and depressed.

"I know… Ugh, it's still not fair," He muttered, "Idomu's always getting the attention from our clan. If I do something, he takes the credit or takes the chance to stomp on me as hard as he can. I'm like a stepping stool to him."

"Hmph," Naruto thrust his fist out, making Usagi jump a little, "All right, I'll make you a deal! I bet you I can help you get recognized by your family by the time I leave here in the next week!" Usagi stared at him, then squinted a little before smirking and thrusting his fist out to hit Naruto's, closing his eyes.

"Tch. No wonder they call you Naruto the Number One Knuckleheaded Ninja."

"Damn- HEY, SAY WHAT?"

**Later…**

"Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that you're leading us in a complete circle?" Sasuke demanded in annoyance as they trudged over the swampy marshes toward Kirigakure. Ruriko averted her eyes, trying to keep her fake smile on, but it had fallen off a while back.

"Uh, it's not me… I'm following Akatsuki's trail. They're the one going around and around the cobbler's bench." She muttered. Karin snorted, but said nothing. Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"It's funny how Akatsuki is hopping around like this… I coulda sworn they would've stopped by now to do that thing they're doing with the powerful chakra demons." He mused. Ruriko twitched and flashed him a sharp glare before looking up ahead, moving a bit faster to stick by Sasuke's side.

_I miss Roku… So badly… I need him around to keep my spirits high… Ever since I left him with Nero and Akira and the others, my heart's been sinking lower and lower… So low in fact that I'm actually considering letting Sasuke kill me. Ugh… No, I can't do that… I promised Roku a puppy, my brothers that I would return, and Osamu that I would kick his ass…_ She thought confidently, glancing up as the Kirigakure gates came into view.

"You know," Ruriko began, "They're not going to let a gang of criminals by…"

"Not without a fight," Sasuke agreed, but shrugged, "But why does it matter? I'll easily take them down." Ruriko smirked and forced her cocky remarks to herself, making Sasuke glare at her for even thinking them. They approached the gates where Akumu and Inori were positioned, looking pretty ready for them. Sasuke came to a slow halt before them, frowning as he gripped his sword.

"Move." He ordered.

"You have some nerve," Akumu muttered, "I know how to show brats to behave for their elders." Inori's eyes flashed as well as Karin's.

"Sasuke!" She cried. As soon as she spoke, Akumu's hand moved, flinging out a line of senbon that left thin wet streams behind them. Sasuke's eyes widened for a fraction before he swung his sword out, knocking the senbon back. Akumu tilted his head slightly.

"Amusing. You blocked them all." He commented. Sasuke glared, Sharingan glowing in his eyes.

"Tch." Was his response. Akumu's eyes darkened at the sight of his Sharingan.

"Uchiha… Ohhh, you're part of that accursed clan… Inori, if the others attack, defend. I'll take this brat down." He ordered.

"Yes, Master Akumu." Inori nodded and held her hands in a hand sign, watching Ruriko, Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo, who all glared at her. Sasuke glanced at them.

"Don't make a move to defend me. Any of you. This won't take long." He told them, then quickly whipped around to avoid another shower of senbon, having to side step a few of them. Akumu seemed to barely had moved, his arms folded as he eyed Sasuke closely.

"Your Sharingan is useless in this battle, Uchiha. I have no use for ninjutsu as my knowledge of poisons far exceed that of any medical ninja or kage." He explained. Sasuke's eyes glowed hatefully as he went to charge up chidori, but was halted as Akumu bolted forward. Sasuke's eyes flashed angrily as he quickly lost sight of the small man, only to have Akumu skid across the dirt in front of him. Sasuke quickly jumped up, doing a back flip. Akumu smirked and swung his hand up, a kunai shooting from a hidden spot in his shirt sleeve. He brought the kunai over and the blade cut into Sasuke's face.

Sasuke fell back, skidding across the dirt as he touched his face. He gasped quietly to himself, pulling his hand back. He could feel a numb sensation growing in his head, making his vision blur. Akumu stood up straight, his arms at his sides and his expression calm.

"That poison is one of my fastest working ones. Causes temporary blindness as well as a numbing sensation that will leave you pretty much paralyzed within the next half hour." He explained. Sasuke glared at him, although, by now his vision was becoming blurrier.

"Ruriko." He stated. Ruriko perked up to attention, cocking a brow and smirking.

"What can I do for ya, Oh Great Uchiha Who Doesn't Need Anyone's Help?" She asked with so much sarcastic sugar in her voice that it could kill. Sasuke scowled. Ruriko got the message and swung her hand out, her fingertips burst with blue electricity and shooting forward. Akumu frowned and easily kicked up his kunai, blocking the electricity with it only to have his hand slightly burned.

"Master Akumu!" Inori cried.

"Inori, attack." Akumu ordered. Inori had taken a step forward to assist him, but hung back on his orders before whipping out hand signs and causing stalagmites to come shooting out of the ground toward them. Ruriko winced.

"Juugo, grab Sasuke!" She yelled, whipping around to jump to the side away from a mountain of rock. Juugo was on it as soon as she said it. He skidded across the dirt and caught Sasuke up, making the Uchiha curse loudly before Juugo rolled to avoid a column of earth. Suigetsu was hit, but his body exploded into water before piling back up into his normal self a few feet away. Karin scrambled and ran around like a cornered mouse.

"Look out, he's got more of that shit!" Suigetsu barked, easily escaping the fatal wound of a senbon to the temple. Ruriko winced and ducked, leaping away, but not before a senbon sliced through a thin layer of her skin. She gasped, clasping her hand immediately over the wound. She dug her nails into her skin and tore. She gritted her teeth as blood gushed from the wound, the clearly visible blue poison being taken away with the skin that Ruriko threw.

"He's not finished yet, keep dodging! Juugo, how's Sasuke?" Ruriko yelled, dodging a stalagmite and several senbon. Juugo had just barely escaped getting blown to pieces, Sasuke limp in his arms. He grimaced. The wound around the gash across Sasuke's face had begun to grow a dangerous purple, the tips of his fingers turning a slight purplish black. His body was freezing cold, like holding an ice cube… Or a corpse, Juugo thought with a wince. He looked up at Ruriko as she managed to scramble over to them.

"Shit," Ruriko cursed, "Whatever that poison is, he's practically giving him frostbite or something! We need to get past these clowns and find somewhere safe. He needs healing, big time!"

"Duck!" Juugo ordered and grabbed Ruriko's shoulder, jerking her to the ground as he ducked as well, kunai flying over their heads. Ruriko gritted her teeth.

"This is seriously pissing me off! Be right back!" She told him and whipped around, shooting up over columns of earth, pushing off them and doing flips to avoid poisoned weapons. Akumu jerked his head up in time to see Ruriko coming at him. His eyes flickered, squinting a little before he swung out a kunai that was dripping wet with some kind of thick liquid poison on its blade. Ruriko smirked and slammed right into the kunai, but vanished into smoke as a sign of a shadow clone.

Akumu whipped around just in time for Ruriko to race past him. Inori jerked her head up, cursing out loud and bringing her leg around to kick Ruriko in the face, but Ruriko dodged and swung her fist into the woman's jaw, knocking her into the air. Ruriko was confident for a second before gasping out loud, blood flying from her mouth as something shot right into her back, making her stumble and land on her knees.

"Holy shit…" She managed, reaching around carefully. The kunai, dripping wet, was stuck into her back, having missed her spinal cord. She jerked the weapon out before turning around to face Akumu, who glared at her.

"Leave my student alone. Face me before you face her." He ordered. Ruriko laughed a little, getting to her feet slowly.

"Che… Great… I hate brats." She muttered. Akumu snorted.

"Don't mock me for my appearance. For your information, I'm old enough to be your grandfather."

"Uh, thanks for the update, but I'm still going to kill you for poisoning me." Ruriko retorted, but her legs were feeling sluggish and heavy. She gasped, clasping a hand to her head. Akumu looked at her calmly.

"It won't kill you, not like your little Uchiha friend…. Your's will simply keep you paralyzed for the rest of your miserable life… As for the Uchiha," He explained calmly, gesturing to Juugo, who was still holding a limp Sasuke, "He'll slowly become frozen from the inside out as his nerves crash. That is the final blow of my homemade poison, made especially for Uchiha… I'd of rather used it on that bastard, Madara, but this one seems just as cocky and rude."

"Youuuu asshole…" Ruriko drawled, then brought her arm up to her mouth and bit down, hard. Akumu frowned immediately, dropping his arms from their relaxed state. Ruriko pulled away, gasping in pain and wincing as she managed to run forward, leaping over Akumu, who whipped around to follow her with his eyes. Ruriko raced off through the forest of stalagmites breathing hard.

"Retreat!" She yelled.

"What? Who died and made you-"

"Sasuke would say the same thing, Karin!" Ruriko snarled at her, grabbing her by the sleeve and tearing her after. Suigetsu and Juugo shared looks before following in a hurry. Akumu's eyes narrowed dangerously before he turned to tend to Inori.

_Dangerous criminals, that's for sure… And the Uchiha. Those damned eyes are all the same. So critical, so cruel and calculating… He's almost a perfect replica of Madara… I must inform the Mizukage of this…_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Kya, crap, it's short… xD But it's super late and my arms are really, super numb. Mostly my right one. In fact, I told my sister to slap my right arm as hard as she could and I couldn't feel a thing… It's weird. O.o; Oh well. Anyway, sorry if there's any OOC… It's late, remember. So, thanks so very much for reading and your reviews would be just fabulous! They seriously make me super happy! I got one that made me totally freeze up in surprise. A nomination for a fan fiction award? I want to thank **_**Rei Sagara **_**for that one! I was ecstatic to read that! Thanks again!**


	37. Chapter 37

**UPDATEUPDATEUPDATE!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Akumu**

**Inori**

**Shiôrisha Usagi**

**Shiôrisha Idomu**

**Roku**

**Nero**

**Kaiga**

**(And I think that's it… o.o)**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

****

Chapter Thirty-Seven: **Running Out of Time! To Kill or Not to Kill!**

"Lady Mizukage," Akumu informed, standing in front of the auburn haired kunoichi, "We were visited this evening by a group of attacking shinobi, one of them calling themselves Uchiha Sasuke." He frowned. The Mizukage, Terumi Mei, smiled despite the news.

"Uchiha, huh? I heard they were an attractive bunch… It's a shame they turn themselves into complete fools… Did you see where they ran off to?" She asked, picking up a pile of files on her desk. Akumu averted his eyes.

"No, ma'am. There were too many obstacles in the way to get quite a spot at them, but they had retreated somewhere east. Whether they intend to come back or not is unknown." He explained. Mei sighed, giving her head a little tilt as she swept toward him casually.

"So troublesome… Well, I'm glad you could frighten off, Master Akumu." She smiled and bent down to give him a little kiss on the forehead before patting him and walking on. Akumu tried to stop his face from growing pink as he whipped around.

"Lady Mei, what will you have me do?" He demanded, clenching his fists. Mei paused, not turning around as she touched her fingertips to her lip thoughtfully before shrugging.

"Do what you think is right, Master Akumu. My experience isn't as, well, experienced as yours is. You tell me what you would do." She said. Akumu frowned.

"I would set up our strongest Jounin at the main gate." He stated. Mei nodded.

"Excellent choice. Then carry out your plans… I'll be watching!" She sang, waving a hand to say goodbye as she walked out of the study. Akumu folded his arms over his chest thoughtfully.

_Strongest Jounin… Set up the strongest Jounin. No, I would send the strongest Jounin after them. It's best to catch them by surprise._ He thought and walked from the office, heading down the hall, his bare feet making hardly a sound while the kunai that hung from the blue rope around his waist clinked together.

He walked out of the Mizukage's residence in time to find the pink-haired kunoichi from earlier. Akumu frowned.

"Didn't Usagi take you to a hotel?" He asked. Sakura shifted, smiling a little.

"Yea, but I just wanted to inform the Mizukage why we're here on a mission. I don't want to disrespect her village or the citizens inside, especially if it might cause a danger." She explained. Akumu sighed, averting his eyes.

"Just what we need. More danger." He muttered. Sakura blinked.

"What do you mean? What's happened?" She asked. Akumu paused, debating whether to tell her or not, then shrugged.

"We were attacked earlier this evening by a gang of criminals… The one leading them going by the name of Uchiha Sasuke." He stated. Sakura's eyes went wide, her face paling.

"U-Uchiha… Sasuke…" She managed. Akumu's eyes flickered, locking on her.

"You know him."

"He's… From our village…"

"… Was." Akumu filled in. Sakura clamped a hand over her mouth tightly, her eyes going wider in horror. Akumu frowned at her reaction.

"He made the mistake of attacking me head on, cocky of his actions… I poisoned him and he probably only has two days left. The group he was with defended him rather well to my surprise. He must be a good manipulator like his ancestors." He muttered in explanation.

"Why couldn't you just knock him unconscious?" Sakura cried.

"It's my job to attack criminals who come to do our village harm!"

"But not necessarily kill them! You must have had other motives…!" Sakura managed, her body tense and shaking. Akumu glared up at her.

"So what? Uchiha, Uchiha, Uchiha. They think they're a bunch of hot shot shinobi… What with their Kekkei Genkai and high status… They deserved to be knocked down several pegs. After I heard of their massacre, I was personally pleased… Although, disappointed it was of someone inside the clan… That one person impressed me. Even Uchiha get sick of their own selfish ways. They're all just like him one way or another." He seethed venomously. Sakura glared.

"You're wrong! So maybe some Uchiha are like that, but Sasuke wasn't! Sasuke has good in his heart, but he's hurt! He's in constant pain and he's trying to make others feel the same way! You don't understand him at all!" She argued. Akumu frowned.

"Maybe not. However, he is going about everything the wrong way… Was going about everything the wrong way. He had one last chance and blew it after he was cut by my blade. He'll die." He stated. Sakura's green eyes were sparkling with unshed tears as she clenched her fists.

"There has to be an antidote! It's your poison! You can't let him die! Naruto's been searching for Sasuke for three years!" She yelled. Akumu's eyes glowed.

"What a waste of years… I will hint to you that there may be an antidote, somewhere for the poison I gave him… But you'll have to find it as well as the boy yourself before two days because I am taking a team of Jounin to kill his friends." He said calmly and walked past a frozen in terror Sakura.

_That is unfortunate…_ Akumu thought, closing his eyes as he walked, _You have very good friends, Uchiha Sasuke, and yet you turned to the life of a criminal… Your choice was a fatal one from the beginning…_

**Somewhere Else…**

"Shit, he's still freezing cold…" Ruriko muttered. Karin grimaced, grabbing the heating pad from beside the wall. Lying in the center of the tiny, cheap hotel room, Sasuke was covered with a thick blanket, coughing out loud.

"That poison is really strong," Karin observed worriedly as she placed the heating pad just under the blankets. Ruriko frowned, studying Sasuke's fingers in the palm of her hand. They had grown almost completely black and stiff. A purplish color was spreading down his hand toward his wrist. The gash across his face was still a deep blackish purple color.

"He needs to wake up," Ruriko muttered, "Then maybe if he bites you, something might happen." Karin sighed, looking down at Sasuke worriedly.

"What do we do then? He's going to keep dying from the inside out and he'll die." Suigetsu pointed out.

"You don't sound all that concerned." Ruriko replied dryly. Karin glared at Suigetsu, who huffed.

"Don't get me wrong," He started with a shrug, "I'm grateful for Sasuke letting me go and stuff, but what kind of hindrance would his death cause me? I'd be free to find Kisame myself without Sasuke wasting my time."

"Idiot," Ruriko spat, "Without Sasuke, you wouldn't be able to find Akatsuki, let alone Kisame." Suigetsu laughed out loud, getting to his feet.

"Because he's being led around by you. Don't think I don't already know what you're planning. You're leading Sasuke around in circles, buying yourself time for something, what, I dunno, but I just know that you're wasting our time. Mine included." He explained with a smirk. Karin and Juugo looked at Ruriko, who flinched.

"Shut up, Suigetsu…" Was all she could seethe out.

"Get… Out…" Everyone jumped and looked down at Sasuke, who's eyes were squeezed shut tightly in pain, his teeth clenched. Ruriko frowned. Karin squirmed.

"Sasuke, we can't leave you! If we leave, you could die!" She cried, grasping his icy cold, dark hand. Sasuke coughed a little, his body twitching slightly.

"I'm not… Get out…" He managed and made a sort of choking sound before he bit it back, hissing past his teeth. Ruriko scowled and smacked Karin's hand away.

"Don't just sit there and listen to him. Sasuke, bite Karin as best you can." She ordered. Sasuke gritted his teeth tightly as if he was refusing, but Karin pressed her wrist to Sasuke's mouth and he bit down, hard. Karin gasped and bit her lip, tensing up in pain as Sasuke sank his teeth into her arm. Sasuke finally let go, his body tensing up a little.

"Get out… Now…" He managed. Ruriko huffed.

"Stubborn jackass… Suigetsu, Juugo, go out. Karin and I will stay in here to make sure nothing happens. Stick around, though… I'm not the one who's going to help him bath." She added under her breath. Juugo and Suigetsu nodded and left, shutting the sliding wooden door.

"I said get out…" Sasuke muttered more clearly, tilting his head to the side exhaustedly.

"Shut up," Ruriko snorted, "We're going to try and help you… Try, by the way. Maybe not succeed."

"Don't tell him that!" Karin cried in horror. Sasuke just rolled his eyes, but they were cloudy now and he held a permanently sleepy expression as if frowning was becoming too much work. Ruriko frowned

"Karin, I think we need another heating pad… Sasuke, are you still cold?" She asked, pulling the thick blanket up over him. Sasuke huffed, but managed to give a very slight nod to which Ruriko nodded to Karin, who got up to fetch another heating pad.

"You're… stupid…" Sasuke managed before he coughed out loud, a droplet of blood leaking down the side of his mouth. Ruriko rolled her eyes, grabbing a towel and using it to wipe up the blood.

"And why is that, Mr. Poisoned?" She asked, although, she was really in not position to respond. Her legs were numb from being stabbed in the back by the poisoned kunai. Thankfully she had Karin rip her back. Of course, she was terribly sore and wanted to fall asleep herself, but she wasn't about to. The same motherly instincts that had hit her when she had Roku had come back again, allowing her to help Sasuke.

"This is your chance… To get rid of me…" Sasuke muttered, his cloudy Sharingan eyes shifting to lock on her. Ruriko blinked, then shook her head.

"I told you I'd help you, not kill you…" She mumbled, lifting up Sasuke's hand to study the blackness of them. Sasuke's eyes glowed despite their blind state.

"You can't… Be serious…."

"What do you mean?"

"After everything…" Sasuke stopped to cough out loud, more blood seeping down the sides of his mouth. Ruriko sighed and wiped the blood away, but blinked in surprise as she saw a droplet of blood leaking from Sasuke's ear.

"Shit, what the hell?" She cursed and brushed Sasuke's hair back to wipe the blood up. She avoided looking at it any longer, folding up the towel and looking at the door as Karin walked in.

"What's wrong?" Karin asked, rushing over with the heating pad.

"His ear was bleeding for some reason. I'm no medical student, so I don't know what to do. I just know that he's going to lose a lot of blood if he keeps bleeding like this." Ruriko explained, taking the heating pad and plugging it in.

"This might hurt." She added to Sasuke, who glared at her the best he could before Ruriko gently pushed him over on his side, Karin holding him by the front to keep him up. Sasuke gasped and screwed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. Ruriko frowned and stuck the heating pad underneath him before Karin let him lie back down.

"Karin, he's bleeding again," She said, noticing blood dribbling from Sasuke's mouth and ear, "Grab a couple more towels."

"Got it." Karin was on it without argument. _Probably because she's scared of losing him…_ Ruriko thought with a sigh, then looked at Sasuke, who sucked in a shuddering, deep breath. Sasuke's eyes flickered lightly.

"You won't kill me… Even after I almost killed you… On several different… Occasions…?" He demanded, wincing every so often slightly. Ruriko blinked, pausing to think about it.

_Why don't I kill him? He's right. He's almost killed me or gotten me almost killed by other people… Even so, I gave him my word that I'd help him. Not to mention, my entire goal is to make sure no one gets killed because of my decisions. It'd be pointless if I killed him._ She thought, averting her eyes before huffing and looking at him.

"Shut up," She muttered, "Don't ask me to kick your ass yet. I'll do it when you're feeling better…: She studied Sasuke's annoyed expression before he coughed out loud, blood bubbling from his mouth. Ruriko winced and put an arm underneath his back to pull him into a sitting position. Blood splattered onto his lap as he tried to catch his breath.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, shit…" Ruriko cursed. Sasuke's expression was dazed now, almost blank and lost. Ruriko grimaced.

"Sasuke? Can you hear me?" She asked. Sasuke's head lulled back and his eyes flickered shut as he passed out. Karin had run back in with towels, eyes wide.

"What happened?" She cried in horror, dropping to her knees and putting a towel on Sasuke's lap. Ruriko frowned.

"He just started hacking up blood and passed out… I'm going to have to go back to that village and find a medical ninja. Maybe they'll know how to get rid of the poison." She murmured thoughtfully.

"And what about me?" Karin asked. Ruriko paused, then nodded to her.

"Keep him sitting up in case he starts coughing up more blood again. Be gentle with him… He feels lighter… And smaller… It's weird… Just be careful with him. Make sure Suigetsu and Juugo keep a good watch on the doors. I'll be back as fast as I can." She told her, then rose to her feet, letting Karin take Sasuke in her arms. Ruriko went to the window of the hotel and hopped out before shooting off toward Kirigakure.

**Kirigakure**

"All right," Naruto declared confidently, thumping his chest, "Let's get you famous!" Usagi rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.

"Easy for you to say… This isn't going to be easy." He added under his breath. Naruto rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder, making him wince.

"Don't be like that! Get confident! You were pretty cockier earlier!"

"I don't have to flaunt how good I am because I know I'm good." Usagi responded dryly, shaking his head. Naruto smirked.

"But does your family know that?" He asked. Usagi twitched before he sighed, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"All right, fine." He replied reluctantly. Naruto nodded with a big grin, then glanced around the village before snapping his fingers.

"There are several ways that you can get more money than Idomu. You can keep doing big missions or you could do it the old fashioned way and get another job other than being a ninja." He explained. Usagi blinked and looked at him blankly.

"What do you mean other job?" He asked. Naruto smacked his forehead, then flailed comically.

"What kind of question is that? There are other jobs out there other than being a shinobi! There's working at shops, hotels…!"

"Those are boring!" Usagi cried in exasperation. Naruto thrust a finger in Usagi's face, his other hand clenched in a fist.

"Do you want to get more money than Idomu or not?" He yelled. Usagi glared.

"Of course!"

"Then get another job! No, get two other jobs! Get a lot of jobs and work them all at your hardest and when you get missions, try and take on the best paying ones!"

"Are you kidding me? That's way too much!" Usagi argued stubbornly, huffing and blowing a lock of hair out of his face. Naruto grinned, showing his teeth.

"So, I guess you _don't_ wanna beat Idomu and become the leader of your clan?" He asked, tilting his head onto Usagi's arm. Usagi's face screwed up into an expression of annoyance and distaste.

"All right, fine, whatever," He muttered, "I'll try it… Besides, why are you even here in the first place? What's your _top secret_ mission?" Naruto paused, then whipped around to make sure no one was listening before putting an arm around Usagi's shoulders and jerking him down a bit to whisper in his ear.

"We're looking for a girl, her name is Tsukuyomi Ruriko. She was apparently kidnapped while on a mission. She's kinda short, big boobs, and big mouth." Naruto explained in a quiet voice. Usagi frowned, snorting and averting his eyes before they flickered.

_Wait a minute… Master Akumu and Inori mentioned someone like that with a guy named Uchiha Sasuke… Does this kid even know?_ He thought. Naruto blinked curiously at his expression.

"What's wrong, Usagi?" He questioned. Usagi looked at him.

"You say she was kidnapped? Do you know who kidnapped her?"

"Mmm, nope! Why?"

"… Do you know anyone by the name of Uchiha Sasuke?" Usagi asked. Naruto paled, his eyes widening as he stared at him.

"I… Do… Why? Have you seen him? Did he-"

"Calm down," Usagi ordered, folding his arms over his chest and huffing, "I was just wondering… According to Master Akumu, some guy by the name of Uchiha Sasuke tried to get into the village, but he ended up retreating. I don't know much else, except that the girl you're looking for was with him and ended up putting Inori in the hospital." Naruto looked the other way quickly, his expression confused and serious.

"You're seriously more worried about this guy than the reason why he even came here?" Usagi demanded. Naruto looked up at him, clenching his fists tightly.

"Sasuke's my friend… He's like a brother to me… And I promised I would save him… I'm not giving up!" He announced firmly. Usagi looked at him tiredly.

"You're a weird kid…"

"Hmph! Do you know where Sasuke went or anything about it?" Naruto asked hurriedly. Usagi frowned.

"No. I just heard that he retreated, but he was injured pretty badly in the process… Probably by Master Akumu and if that's the case, your friend doesn't have long to live." He explained. Naruto's eyes shot wide open.

"What do you mean by that?" He demanded angrily. Usagi's eyes glowed.

"Master Akumu is known as Akumu the Sage of Poison. His mastery and love of poisons is legendary. Particularly because they're super powerful, super fatal, and have no antidotes… The fact that he was an Uchiha doesn't help either."

"What does being an Uchiha have to do with anything?" Naruto asked. Usagi smirked and gestured at the Mizukage's residence.

"Akumu's actually met an Uchiha a long time ago by the name of Uchiha Madara. He was a powerful Uchiha and feared by a lot of people because of his strength and greed for power. He even swindled his way into becoming one of the past Mizukage… But he left after a while and was presumed dead… That's why Akumu hates the Uchiha Clan and would do anything to wipe them from the planet."

"But…! Sasuke's not like that!" Naruto cried.

"Tell that to Master Akumu."

"How much time do I have left to find Sasuke?"

"I'd give him another day or so… Maybe even a few hours and he'll probably be nothing, but an empty shell." Usagi replied calmly. Naruto glared at him, then whipped around and started running down the street. Usagi blinked and frowned.

"Where the hell are you going?" He yelled.

"To save my friend!" Naruto shouted back over his shoulder. Usagi went still, his expression completely confused.

Meanwhile, slinking through the village, Ruriko moved over rooftops and ducked behind buildings, muttering to herself.

"Stealth is definitely my weak point," She wiped her bloody mouth on the back of her hand, "At least I was hungry enough to eat those guys…" Of course, she didn't have enough appetite to eat both guards entirely, having left behind torn up limbs.

She continued to move through the village, easily moving by small groups in the streets as she moved toward the center of the village, her eyes landing on a very fancy hotel. The rainbow windows were particularly interesting as well as the heavy scent of curry that hovered around it. Ruriko groaned and clasped her stomach.

"For the love of gods…" She mumbled, then paused to slip inside. She walked by a room to head to the kitchen when she heard a familiar voice shouting, making her pause in front of the door.

"Sakura, it's him! It's Sasuke! That Usagi guy said his master attacked Sasuke and some people he was traveling with, one of them being Ruriko!" Naruto was yelling. Sakura stared at him, her fingers brushing her lips.

"A-Are you serious? Did he say where Sasuke was?"

"No, but we have to find them! And fast! He said Sasuke was-"

"Poisoned." Ruriko opened the door. Naruto and Sakura jumped, whipping around to face the door as Ruriko stepped in casually, shutting the door behind her.

"Ruriko!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Sasuke was poisoned?" Sakura gasped in horror. Ruriko frowned, leaning on the door, kicking her foot up to push on it.

"Whatever he was poisoned by, it's killing him and fast. I was with him about an hour or two ago and he was coughing up blood, his fingers and limbs were turning black and he keeps going in and out of consciousness. He's icy cold and we've had to use at least three heating pads and a quilt." She explained quickly.

"It sounds like frostbite or something…" Sakura murmured, her body visibly shaking at the very thought. Naruto clenched his fists, then thrust a finger at Ruriko, who glared at him.

"Take us to Sasuke now!" He commanded. Ruriko scowled.

"I was just going to do that, you dumbass! But on one condition…" She drawled.

"And what the hell is that?" Sakura demanded in annoyance, practically sneering. Ruriko held up one finger, standing up straight and putting a hand on her hip.

"The one condition is that you let Sasuke go free after you heal him."

"What?" Naruto and Sakura yelled in unison. Ruriko rolled her eyes, dropping her hand.

"Idiots. Sasuke has unfinished business and after he's healed, he's going to continue on his trek to finish that business. It'd be a whole lot easier if he didn't have people tailing him the entire way." She explained simply. Naruto gritted his teeth.

"But we've been looking for Sasuke for three years! We can't let him slip through our grip just yet…!" He managed.

"Forget it," Ruriko snapped, "Sasuke is pretty intent on doing this. If you take him back to Konohagakure now, especially now of all times, he'll gladly ruin the entire village once he's healed."

"He can't take down a whole village by himself." Sakura pointed out, but Ruriko laughed.

"By himself? Who said anything about doing things by himself? Sasuke has a loyal gang tagging along his side that'll gladly help him ruin the entire village…"

"And I take it you're one of them?" Sakura muttered. Ruriko blinked, then frowned at her.

"Trust me, if I had a choice, I would be back in Konohagakure right now, telling the Hokage that she was right and I was wrong… But I opened my big mouth and made a promise to Sasuke that I have to carry out." She informed.

"Why do you have to carry it out?" Sakura demanded in aggravation. Ruriko rolled her eyes and made a 'so-on-so-on' gesture with her hand toward them.

"It's just something I stick by. I really don't have any personal rules, except that one. Look, I just need whoever's a medical ninja to come with me and help me try and heal Sasuke." She ordered. Naruto looked at Sakura, who frowned before nodding.

"All right," Sakura said with a nod, "Naruto will gather the rest of our group… And you can lead us to Sasuke."

"Good, but hurry up. Sasuke could be entirely purple by now." Ruriko pointed out. Naruto bolted out the door to find Kai, Eiji, and Sora. Ruriko walked out with Sakura walking beside her, both heading to the front doors.

"So… What do you think of Sasuke?" Sakura asked casually as they walked. Ruriko glancing up at the ceiling as if to find the answer, then smiled, tilting her head to look at Sakura.

"Haha~ He's the worst guy I've ever met in my entire life and as soon as this entire ordeal is over, I am going to hope someone kicks some sense into his teeny tiny brain!" She exclaimed cheerfully. Sakura twitched and sweat dropped, a visible vein pounding her forehead as well.

"You just haven't gotten to know his good side…" She managed. Ruriko rolled her eyes, looking the other way now with a faint, almost nostalgic smile.

"Heh… Well, I'll admit he's helped me in a few predicaments…" Her voice trailed as she remembered the incident in the Land of Snow, where she'd almost been killed by Kotaro one a couple different occasions. He'd also given her permission to talk to her brother and teammate.

_And then there are the times Sasuke almost killed me…_ Ruriko thought now with an eye twitch. Such as when Sasuke had discovered her meeting Itachi. She'd opened her big mouth again out of fear of dying at his hands. Ruriko smacked her forehead. Sakura frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing, just wallowing in some unwanted nostalgia." Ruriko muttered, averting her eyes. They stopped outside the front doors as Naruto led Kai, Sora, and Eiji toward them.

"Wow, you changed." Kai commented openly, his eyes easily sliding down her figure before moving back up to give her a raised eyebrow. Ruriko huffed. Sora blinked.

"Why would you ever travel with Sasuke?" She asked, perplexed. Ruriko averted her eyes, almost ashamed. Eiji just sighed, as if any excuse would be worthless.

"Take us to Sasuke." Naruto ordered firmly, clenching his fists. Ruriko blinked, gave him a quick glare, then nodded.

"But we're taking my way. I'm not running into that Akumu guy again… My legs are still a little numb from our last encounter." She told them before running and sprint down the street with the gang tailing.

"Which areas are bleeding exactly?" Sakura asked as they ran. Ruriko frowned.

"First he was just coughing up blood, but I noticed some blood leaking out of his ear… He could be bleeding from other areas, but I don't quite know yet… Just don't get loud when we get there. He's probably trying to rest." She explained. The group nodded.

"Are you all right," Sakura questioned after a while, "You said he got you too."

"Yea, but I had Karin rip at my back… And I had a good meal of two Kirigakure Jounin, so hopefully it'll fight off some of the poison." Ruriko replied.

"You…?" Sora's voice trailed, her eyes widening a little. Eiji frowned curiously, tilting his head while Kai huffed.

"Cannibalism." Kai stated. Ruriko beamed.

"Oh yea. Sorry that I ate two of the good guys… But I needed the food."

"What does eating humans do? Just fuel you up?" Naruto asked, confused. Ruriko shrugged.

"I don't know that much about it… I just know I feel full and energetic after. It's like drinking coffee with medicine in it or something… I can't explain things well. You'd have better luck talking to my brother, Kazuya, about it." She explained as she led them down the path she used to enter. The remains of the Kirigakure Jounin were still there in chunky heaps, making Naruto yelp in disgust and Sakura gasp. Sora covered her nose and mouth, cringing.

"Talk about hungry…" Kai managed, covering his nose. Eiji flinched. Ruriko averted her eyes.

"I wouldn't have been as rough if they had just let me by." She answered calmly, walking at the head of the group with Naruto at her side.

"You killed two innocent Jounin!" Naruto protested, the very thought of it disgusting him. Ruriko frowned.

"A fox has to kill the rabbit to eat. So does a cannibal." She responded.

"But…!" Naruto couldn't come up with a response and just sighed, frustrated. Ruriko shrugged it off and picked up the speed, leading them back to the small hotel in a nearby outpost town. Ruriko leapt through the window, startling Karin, who was holding a dazed Sasuke.

"That was fast!" Karin exclaimed, but narrowed her eyes suspiciously, tightening her grip on Sasuke as the group of shinobi came through the window. Sakura's eyes shot wide open, her heart pounding in its cage of ribs, her hands clasped over her mouth. Naruto stumbled a little in shock, his back hitting the wall behind him.

"Oh my god." Sora managed in shock.

"So much for the great Uchiha." Kai was elbowed in the ribs by Sora. Sakura managed to move forward carefully with Ruriko, watching Sasuke panting for air and choking up another glob of blood. Sakura got on her knees steadily.

"All right… Lie him down, but keep his head propped up… He'll choke on the blood if we don't." She added. Karin nodded and gathered up some towel, tucking them under Sasuke's head. Sasuke was still breathing harshly, as if trying to get air in his lungs.

"He needs some air, so please back up," Sakura advised, her voice shaking slightly as she pulled open Sasuke's shirt, making a few hand signs before placing her hands just lightly over his skin. Immediately, Sasuke gasped, his body twitching. Ruriko watched, her eyes as wide as everyone else's. A thick black gunk was slowly oozing from Sasuke's skin into the blue aura around Sakura's hands.

"I need a bowl to put the poison in." Sakura managed past clenched teeth. Ruriko looked at Karin, who huffed a little, but obeyed, fetching a bowl and placing it beside Sakura before taking her seat again. Sakura moved one hand carefully over to the bowl, holding the thick black goo in the blue aura before she let it slosh into the bowl. She moved her hand back over his chest. She dragged one hand up over Sasuke's face, over the gash.

"This is difficult," Sakura murmured, sweat dripping down her face, "The poison has already spread through his system… I'll be here for another hour or two trying to rip it all out, even then, there may still be some left… It'll cause his movements to be a bit slow for a while until it's flushed completely from his system. I wouldn't know how to do it, but Lady Tsunade might have an idea."

"No…" Sasuke managed, coughing up blood at Sakura's hand. Sakura jumped and stared at him. Naruto clenched his fists, glaring.

"Shut up, bastard! Just let her heal you! If we have to take you to Grandma Tsunade, then we're going to do it!" He barked. Sasuke gritted his teeth, but couldn't speak anymore and flicked his eyes at Ruriko and Karin, who both twitched.

"You're not taking Sasuke anywhere." Karin stated confidently. Ruriko frowned, averting her eyes.

"At least not yet…"

"What are you saying?" Karin cried, but Ruriko turned her head the other way to ignore her completely, making the redhead fume silently. Sakura frowned, but continued working.

"He's bleeding." Eiji stated and pointed, making everyone look at Sasuke's right ear where blood had begun to drip. Sakura cursed.

"We need more towels." She ordered. Eiji got to his feet calmly and went to fetch some towels, Kai following close behind with a tired sigh. Sasuke coughed again, his expression becoming dizzy before his head flopped to the side.

"He's out again." Ruriko muttered, tipping his head back up so Sakura could run her fingers over the gash in his face.

"I thought you said you hated him." Sakura said. Sora and Naruto glanced at Ruriko, who twitched, giving a weak and annoyed smile.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I do… But I don't want him to die. To be honest," Ruriko paused to peek at Sasuke to be sure he was really out before looking back up, "I'm trying to make sure no one dies. Not Sasuke, not Akatsuki, and not the villages."

"And how's that working for ya?" Naruto demanded, rolling his eyes. Ruriko huffed.

"No one's dead."

"Yet." Sora said softly. Ruriko frowned, folding her arms over her chest.

"I know it sounds hard, but I'm trying… It's especially hard when Sasuke keeps talking about killing and death. He's like the Grim Reaper." She added with an exhausted sigh.

"His brother killed his clan," Sakura said softly, "It's all he can think about. Getting revenge… It'll be good for everyone if he did just kill his brother…" Ruriko's eyes glowed as she tilted her head.

"Is that what you think? So you should signal a death punishment for murderers? Sounds a bit ironic to me. Let's kill the murderer, making ourselves murderers… What's it matter in the shinobi world? We're all murderers one way or another." She replied. Naruto gritted his teeth, slamming his fist down and making everyone in the room jump.

"Shut up! Itachi killed everyone for a stupid reason! For power! The rest of the us _defend_ what we believe in!"

"Just what other people do," Ruriko retorted, "My uncle's a power hungry bastard, but it's what he believes in, which is why he kills… And what about you? Didn't you say you wanted to be Hokage? Don't you need to kill a few people to reach that status?" Naruto's eye twitched angrily as he gritted his teeth.

"I won't kill anyone like that! I'll just kill people like Orochimaru or Kotaro or-"

"Oh yea? What would Kotori-sensei say about that? If you killed her brother? Kotaro's just doing the same. He's fighting because he believes it's fun. That's a belief… You're just contradicting yourself. Pick your words right before you get into an argument, especially with me, little boy." Ruriko drawled. Naruto swung his fist up, grabbing the v-neck hood of Ruriko's shirt, jerking on it.

"Shut your damn mouth! Kotaro's an asshole! He's a ruthless killer and he tortures everyone around him! Kotori-sensei knows that! We'd be saving countless lives by getting rid of one cruel one! You don't understand anything about the ninja world!" He argued. Ruriko glared at him and swung her hand up, smacking his hand off her.

"So what? I go by what I see and hear. And touch me like that again and I'll tear your hand off with my teeth. Let's see you be Hokage with one hand, loser." She retorted. Naruto growled and went to attack her, but Sora caught Naruto's sleeve, jerking hard.

"Naruto, stop! We're just all antsy because of Sasuke," She soothed, "Just take a deep breath and calm down… Sit down and let's relax. Ruriko, I know you're just as worried about Sasuke as Naruto is… Please refrain from saying things like that." Ruriko relaxed immediately, sighing as she rested her head in her hands.

"Sorry… I don't know why I even got into that…" She mumbled. Naruto frowned and sat back down, folding his arms over his chest.

"You're pretty defensive about criminals, even though you're one that cracks down on them." He muttered. Sora opened her mouth to scold him, but Ruriko jumped in.

"Duh. My brother killed my parents. And I still love him. Akira's not evil." Ruriko put in calmly. Sakura blinked and looked up.

"Akira?" She asked. Ruriko nodded, then fell on her side on the floor, grabbing one of the pillows from across the room.

"I'm gonna take a nap if you don't mind… If anything happens with Sasuke, wake me up." She said, resting her head on the pillow. Sakura nodded, averting her eyes. Ruriko drifted to sleep as Naruto glanced up at Sakura. There was a silence as Ruriko slept and Sasuke breathed gently in his unconscious state.

"Are we really going to let them escape?" Naruto asked. Sakura frowned.

"… I don't know, Naruto…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: FINISHED! And it's about 16 pages on word now… WOW. -gets carried away- Hahaa, well, I hope this was a good chapter! I was excited to write it since I had so many ideas! Sorry that it's so late. -_- My arm has been entirely numb. Now it's just my knuckles. O: Well, thanks for reading, hope your OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	38. Chapter 38

**UPDATE! WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced in this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Akumu**

**Inori**

**Shiôrisha Usagi**

**Shiôrisha Idomu**

**Roku**

**Fumichi Ecchio**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Eight: **It's Time to Let Go. Where Are the Adults?**

What woke Ruriko up was a hand thrust across her chest, making her wince and blink to find Naruto fast asleep beside her, his hand cupped right over her. Ruriko rolled her eyes and grabbed Naruto's hand, thrusting it off so she could sit up and glance at Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura was blushing for some reason, staring down at Sasuke as she dumped a little more poison into the bowl. Sasuke was glancing up, muttering something.

"You're not done yet?" Ruriko asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Sakura jumped a little and looked up.

"Ah, uhm… It's almost all out. He can see again, but his body is still stiff and he's still cold." She explained. Sasuke rolled his eyes, grimacing only slightly.

"I'm not that cold…" Even as he said it, it was pretty obvious as his teeth clicked together in a short, stopped chatter. Ruriko sighed, then nudged Naruto with her foot. Naruto groaned and rolled over. Ruriko sweat dropped, then looked up to see Sakura blushing again.

"Is he actually flirting with you or do you always blush around him?" She asked. Sakura blinked, then scowled a little, blushing redder. Sasuke flicked his eyes toward Ruriko in annoyance.

"Don't talk unless I give you permission, starting now." He ordered. Ruriko glared at him, but she said nothing in return, only huffing and folding her arms over her chest.

"SHIT!" Someone's voice yelled. Everyone looked toward the door, Naruto shooting up to groan a little and rub his eye. Karin, then Suigetsu came barreling into the room.

"We're in trouble," Suigetsu informed an aggravated Sasuke, "There are Kirigakure Jounin out in the town with that Akumu guy leading them and they're heading right this way." Sasuke's eyes darkened, his body visibly tensing. Ruriko frowned and glanced at Sasuke. Karin and Suigetsu waited expectantly while everyone looked at Sasuke.

"We're leaving." Sasuke stated.

"What?" Naruto yelled.

"Sasuke, I'm not finished…!" Sakura's voice fell away as Sasuke pushed her back, getting into a sitting position. Ruriko's eyes flickered, amused. _Huh… He's still pushing himself…_ She thought. Karin winced and took a timid step forward in case Sasuke decided to fall over, but he didn't. He rose to his feet easily, giving only a single sway before he stood up straight.

"We're leaving now. We'll get a head start on them." He informed. Ruriko was on her feet, Karin and Suigetsu nodding, one leaving to inform Juugo. Naruto clenched his fists, his teeth gritted as he glared at the Uchiha.

"Y-You can't…! You can't leave! We have to take you back!" He shouted angrily. Ruriko scowled at him and opened her mouth to say something, but Sasuke swung his hand up and smacked her mouth shut.

"I'm not going back, loser," Sasuke spat at Naruto, lowering his hand, "I have business to attend to and I really don't want you interfering, or are you going to try and fight me again, getting your ass kicked?" Naruto twitched and he tensed up.

"Naruto, stop," Sora said softly, tilting her head to look at him, "We made a deal, right? We have to abide by what we said."

"I thought it was your 'ninja way' to stick by your word." Kai added in, averting his eyes innocently. Eiji sighed, then frowned as Naruto stomped his foot.

"I can't…! We just…! I swore I'd bring you back to the village!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke, who cocked his head to give Naruto a sideways look over his shoulder.

"Maybe some other time." He replied calmly, making Naruto fume. Sakura reached out to touch Sasuke's arm, but his reflexes seemed to be back and just as good as ever for he jerked his arm out of her reach.

"We're leaving… Come on." Sasuke ordered to Ruriko, who shrugged and followed him out the door. Naruto took a step forward, but Sakura caught his arm.

"Naruto, stop." She managed. Naruto whipped around to glare at her.

"Let me go! I have to go after him!" He yelled.

"It'd be pointless," Kai muttered, "Let him go. It's not like he's going to stay away from Konohagakure forever."

"Yea," Sora agreed with a frown, "Didn't you hear what Ruriko said earlier?" Naruto blinked, clueless as he tried to remember. Eiji averted his eyes, adjusting his glasses.

"She said 'at least not yet'… When Karin mentioned Sasuke never returning…" He said softly, making Naruto stare at him in surprise. Sakura blinked, then nodded in agreement.

"Exactly! That means Sasuke will come back!" She cried. Naruto paused, glancing down at his feet with a pained expression before sighing and relaxing with a nod.

"Then the only thing we can do right now is stall Akumu and his Jounin." Kai stated.

"And how do we do that?" Sora asked with a grimace. Kai paused, shifting his feet a little as if he was hiding a dirty little secret.

"Well… I have one idea…"

**Somewhere Else**

"Are you sure you're okay, Sasuke?" Karin asked worriedly as they bolted through the trees, leaves rustling and crashing as they whipped from branch to branch. Sasuke frowned, still running at the head of the group.

"Just fine." He answered. Ruriko glanced at him out the corner of her eye, then back with a huff.

"Tch, he's not screaming or anything. That's a good sign." She retorted. Suigetsu snickered.

"Oh, but there was 'anything' last night. You guys were just too out of it to hear." He taunted. Ruriko blinked and looked at him blankly. Karin twitched.

"What do you mean?" She demanded, then looked at Juugo, who looked away, probably already knowing what Suigetsu was teasing about. Then everyone looked at Sasuke, who kept running with as straight a face as he could keep without whipping around and slamming his fist into Suigetsu's face.

"What the hell is Suigetsu going on about?" Ruriko asked, frowning at Sasuke, who twitched slightly as if snapped from his thoughts.

"Hell if I know." He retorted sharply. Ruriko pursed her lips and cocked a brow at him suspiciously.

"You know, I think I have a hunch… You seemed to be pretty into talking with Sakura and getting up with ease too." She mused. Sasuke snapped his head at her, glaring full on, complete with raging Sharingan.

"Quit guessing."

"Judging by that attitude, I'd say my suspicions were right. You had sex with Sakura."

"… You are tempting me to rip your tongue out and strangle you with it. If you don't shut up, I will do it." Sasuke threatened coldly and looked back up ahead. Ruriko scuffed, but said nothing else.

_Of course. He didn't deny it, so it has to be true. Good, gods, she's only what? Fifteen? Way too young to have a kid._ She thought with an eye roll, but the group continued their trek in silence, leaving Kirigakure and their mess behind them.

**Konohagakure**

"I don't believe you guys! You're all banned from any outside missions for the rest of the month! You hear me? And you are only to accept D-rank missions in the village! Never in my life have I seen such reckless and selfish behavior! Unacceptable! And you call yourselves shinobi!" Tsunade roared, having slammed her fist into her desk and cracking it in half.

Everyone had returned by now, the Hokage's office rather cramped with everyone who was inside. Everyone in the room was either shifting or groaning in annoyance, but no one opened their mouth to argue with a red-faced and angry Tsunade. Eventually, they piled out of the room.

"This is so unfair…" Sora sighed, then jumped a little in surprise as Daisuke put an arm around her, huffing a little.

"Oh well. We did our best! And we learned some new things… And we get more time to spend in the hot springs." Daisuke said with a grin. Sora smiled faintly and leaned on him as they walked down the hall with Mai at their side, her eyes rolling.

"I'm still confused," Koyuki murmured as she moved down the hall with her teammates, "Why would Ruriko ever keep her word with a guy like Sasuke?" Kasumi shrugged, huffing a little as she folded her arms over her chest.

"I don't know, but it pisses me off… You should have seen Akira when we got back." She added under her breath. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"You were watching him?" He asked. Kasumi twitched and didn't hesitate to elbow him hard in the ribs.

"Shut up, dumbass! I meant in a friend way!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

"Did I ask you?" The team continued on their way down the hall, the next team moving out of the Hokage's office.

"Osamu, are you all right?" Kishi asked quietly as they walked. Osamu frowned, averting his eyes a little as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Yea, just fine…" He muttered. Kishi sighed. Eiji looked back Osamu for a moment, then at the hallway up ahead.

"She'll come back." He said. Osamu looked at him, blinking in surprise, before giving a faint smile and nodding.

"She better." He responded. As they walked. Kishi smiled and looked at Eiji, whispering a thank up and earning a nod from him.

"Sakura, are you all right?" Naruto asked as they walked down the hall with the other teams.

"She just puked," Kin muttered, "I don't think she is." Sakura smiled weakly, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's fine, I'm okay… I think it was something I ate." She replied, holding a hand over her belly.

"I hope so." Naruto mumbled.

"She's probably right. What else would make her vomit?" Kin questioned rhetorically with a shrug. Naruto blinked, then laughed a little.

"Good point!" He laughed. Sakura stared at them with a sick look before following them down the hall.

"It could've been worse," Honoka told her twin as they left the office, "It could've been completely crushed. You should've thanked Shizune…" Ayaka snorted as she hobbled on her crutches.

"This is stupid. I hate these things! I'm still gonna train my ass off!" She declared. Ryuuko gave her a comically deadpan stare, his arms folded over his chest.

"At least you're not down." He said with a light shrug.

"Hell no! I'm not giving up and I am so going to find that Deidara and kick his ass!" Ayaka proclaimed. Honoka blinked, then sweat dropped.

"Aha, okay." She agreed anyway. Ryuuko sighed and the team kept walking, following the others out. Back in the office, Tsunade huffed and slammed back into her seat, folding her arms over her chest. Shizune was shaking at her side, covering her face as if to hide her shame. Across the desk, Kazuya stood with Akira and Nero at his side, Roku standing by Akira.

"I'm sorry for the mess these two have caused in your village. I'm sure it's too much to ask if we can stay a bit longer." Kazuya explained with a little sigh. Tsunade paused, scanning them over before shaking her head.

"It's fine. Stay as long as you like. I'm thankful that you and the other Jounin went to fetch the teams." She replied. Kazuya beamed oh so sweetly.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage! It's a pleasure speaking with you! Have a nice afternoon." He bowed a few times before nodding to his team, leading them out into the hallway.

"Do you guys have anything to say for yourselves?" Kazuya asked quietly, his expression tired and annoyed. Nero frowned and looked the other way, not saying a word. Akira glanced up at him, a somewhat hurt look on his face before he looked back down. Kazuya sighed, then looked at his feet.

"Ruriko's gotten herself into trouble I take it from your looks… And not to mention, you brought a kid back with you." He added, glancing at Roku, who blinked with wide curious eyes up at him. Akira looked surprised at first, as if he had almost forgotten Roku, then smiled down at him.

"Sorry if all this seems scary." He said to him. Roku shook his head, then shifted a little with a sad look on his face.

"Na… Roku miss… Ruriko…" He mumbled. Akira sighed and nodded a little.

"I miss her too." He replied.

"Me three." Nero said at last. Kazuya frowned.

"I know… But if what you said is true, she'll come back on her own. She just needs time… Whatever you do, don't tell any one of higher power, such as the Hokage. If they find out that Ruriko is traveling with a missing-nin, they'll probably sign her up for death row." He explained quietly as they exited the building.

"So what do we do now? Are we ever going to go back home?" Akira asked. Kazuya nodded, then paused and shrugged.

"You still have business to do with the medical teachings here… So I don't know about you, but Nero and I will probably be going back in a couple days… What're you going to do with Roku?" He asked. Akira averted his eyes.

"I want to keep him with me… If that's okay." He added. Kazuya shrugged.

"I don't see why not. Ruriko gave him to you to take care of. I just hope you know the responsibilities of having a child." He replied. Nero snorted, laughing out loud.

"Akira! Haha, with a kid, that's funny!" He snickered. Akira twitched, then huffed.

"I can take great care of him! Just you wait! Come on, Roku, we're going to the hospital." He muttered and grabbed Roku's hand, dragging the child after him. Kazuya and Nero shared sarcastic looks.

"All right," Akira declared as they walked into the hospital, "You have behave when we go in here okay? I'm sure Ruriko taught you how to behave right?" He looked at Roku hopefully, earning a cute little smile from the five-year-old.

"Yes!" He replied. Akira smiled.

"That's great! She mentioned you're not so great with communicating… Which words do you know?" He asked. Roku blinked and stared at him, tapping his lip thoughtfully.

"Na… Lots." He answered. Akira shrugged.

"Good enough for me," He smiled, then looked up as Sakura came down the hallway with Kasumi, who had a bandaged up hand, "Hello, ladies!" He greeted boisterously, throwing his arms out dramatically. Roku sweat dropped. Sakura huffed and Kasumi sighed a little.

"You're cheery, even after the bad news we got." Sakura muttered.

"How do you keep it up?" Kasumi asked, shaking her head. Akira grinned and easily linked an arm around Kasumi's shoulders, using his other hand to take her sore one.

"Thinking of you every day has me energetic and excited! Just think what sex would be like." He added with a wicked grin. Kasumi glared, her face heating up. Sakura twitched.

"You pervert! And you call yourself a medical ninja!" She yelled angrily. Akira shrugged, folding his arms over his chest.

"I can't help that I'm attracted the beauty of all things! It's just enough to make me go crazy." He said with a grin, winking at Kasumi, who stared at him unable to come up with anything to say. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Akira, weren't you supposed to be taking care of someone?" She demanded and pointed beside Akira, who blinked and looked over. He yelped, flailing a little at the empty spot beside him.

"Holy shit, no way! He's gone already? This is unbelievable!" He cried.

"You'll never do well with children." Kasumi muttered. Akira gave her a weak little smile.

"Trust me, when we have children, I'll keep them on leashes! See you ladies later!" He yelled and bolted down the hallway. Kasumi felt a brand new blush set her face on fire as she glared after Akira. Sakura sighed, then smirked at Kasumi.

"He's cute, right?"

"… I guess… Maybe a little." Kasumi mumbled a little, averting her eyes and huffing a little.

Meanwhile, Roku stepped out of the hospital, his gold eyes scanning the tall buildings. The village was definitely, by far, much bigger than the little valley town or the shore side village that he'd been to with Ruriko and Sasuke. Roku twitched in annoyance at the mere thought of Sasuke. Of course, due to his vocabulary, he couldn't come up with anything to fit Sasuke as an insult, except for the few he'd heard Ruriko use. Roku beamed happily as one came to mind.

"Asshead." He said to himself, then blinked in surprise. The word sounded just right, as in, the pronunciation. He was thoroughly pleased with himself and couldn't wait to tell Ruriko about his accomplishment! But the happy moment he felt slowly fell away at the thought of the her.

He walked down the street, holding one of his plushies to his chest. He didn't know whether to be super mad or super sad that Ruriko had left him with these people. Why would she do that? He was okay with traveling with them, even though they were always in trouble. Of course, it also worried him that Ruriko was by herself with Sasuke. Roku paid no mind to the other three. As he figured Juugo was quiet and gentle, Karin was loud and obnoxious and needed to be smacked, and Suigetsu was pretty much a laid-back jerk.

He didn't like the thought of Ruriko not having him there to keep an eye on Sasuke. Roku knew, of course, that he didn't have enough power to fight Sasuke. He was only five, for crying out loud! But the least he could do was warn Ruriko when Sasuke was about to go after her so she could prepare herself. Roku frowned.

No, it couldn't stay like that. He wasn't some kind of alarm. He was a ninja too. Or at least, that's what he was going to be. Roku nodded confidently to himself at the thought.

He had to become a ninja! He had to become a ninja so he could kick Sasuke's ass and protect Ruriko!

Roku walked on down the street, thinking of ways of how he was going to reach his goal until a child came racing out of a shop and slammed right into him, causing him to topple over. Both boys yelped out loud, Roku falling on his back before sitting up.

The other boy scooted back on his bottom, knocking up dust. The boy looked about three, his a butterscotch gold with red flicks of paint under them going off to the sides and his hair as white as snow as a messy mop on his head, save for two shoulder length strands in front of his ears. He wore a loose black t-shirt with a leaf on the left sleeve, a pair of over-sized shorts tied with a white rope. He also had two small silver bells tied to the long strands of his hair so they jingled as he shook his head.

"Ah…" Roku didn't know what to say nor how to greet the boy who stared back at him curiously.

"Heyyy, you're new…" The boy mused, reaching out to poke Roku in the nose. Roku clasped his hands over his nose, staring at the boy in shock. The boy smiled a little and held out a hand.

"I'm Fumichi Ecchiooo!" He beamed. Roku looked at his hand a little curiously, trying to remember if he'd ever seen Ruriko do such a thing before he took one of Ecchio's fingers to look at it curiously. Ecchio blinked and smiled a little, watching Roku look at his hands curiously. There were lots of cuts in his palms, scars etched deeply into his hands and fingers.

"Ow?" Roku asked, looking up. Ecchio flexed his fingers thoughtfully before looking up with a big smile.

"Not that much! They was lots worse when I woke up!" He replied. Roku blinked, tilting his head curiously. Ecchio nodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yup! I woke up, and my hands was hurting lots, but not no more… Not really." He assured from the look on Roku's face. Roku lowered his eyes to Ecchio's hands again before looking at his feet. They were completely bandaged up, but there was a faint blood stain over the top of them.

"Ow?" He asked, pointing. Ecchio blinked and looked down, before smiling, but it looked a little more pained.

"Ah, I don't know how those got there… But it don't matter no more! I'm wake now and that's all that matters! So what's your name, huh?" He asked eagerly, leaning in a little close to Roku's face. Roku twitched a little, then tilted his head and tapped the side of his head, trying to remember what he was called before he snapped his fingers and held up six fingers. Ecchio looked at them before looking back at him.

"Roku?" He asked. Roku nodded. Ecchio beamed.

"Nice to meet ya, Roku! Let's be friends!" He threw his arms around Roku's neck, hugging him tightly. Roku yelped a little before blinking in surprise as Ecchio hopped to his feet, holding out his hand again.

"Come on, get up! I wanna show you where I live!" Ecchio whooped, pulling Roku to his feet. Roku nodded and followed anyway. He knew he shouldn't be running around the town with a strange child like Ecchio, as he could remember giving Ruriko a heart attack when he ran off and met Itachi, but he was sure Akira wouldn't mind. Ecchio led him around a complete circle at first before they stopped just outside a little shop.

"Agh," Ecchio whined, ruffling up his hair on the sides, "I coulda sworn I knew where it was! It's real big, gots lots of lights hanging on the sides too! It's right near here, I know it!" Roku smiled a bit weakly, rubbing the back of his head as he watch Ecchio flail and look around. Behind them, a chuckle made them look up to find an old man working at the shop, two customers sitting at the stools.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Ecchio." The old man laughed warmly. Ecchio looked up and beamed.

"Teuchi!" He beamed. The girl customer with waist length black hair, her fringe red and icy blue eyes looked down at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you forget where you lived?" She asked, as if this happened all the time. Ecchio blushed, but smiled at her anyway.

"Maybe!" He replied boisterously with a wide grin. The other customer, a girl with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes, blinked.

"You have a new friend?" She asked, gesturing to Roku, who shifted a little uneasily at meeting so many new people. Ecchio beamed and thrust an arm toward Roku, putting his other hand on his hip.

"This is Roku! He's my new friend," He announced, then looked at Roku, pointing at the others, "That guy is Teuchi! He runs the ramen shop and he's veryyy nice! This is Hitsuki Kesshou and Kirai! They're cool too! … And pretty." He whispered the last part in Roku's ear, making him blink in confusion.

"How old are you, Roku?" Kesshou asked with a light smile. Kirai huffed, but was smirking as she heard Ecchio's comment. Roku held up five fingers for them to see.

"Really? You should feel mature hanging out with someone like Ecchio." Kirai replied with a smirk, making Ecchio twitch.

"I am so mature! I bet ya I'm more mature than Jiraiya!" He boosted. Kesshou sweat dropped, the corner of her mouth twitching a little.

"I think anyone's more mature than Lord Jiraiya." She pointed out. Kirai laughed out loud, Teuchi joining in. Ecchio huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"See? It's already showing!" He announced, making all three of the elders snicker. Ecchio smiled proudly at a job well done. Roku blinked, peeking at him. Ecchio seemed pretty nice as he had lots of friends. Akira definitely shouldn't mind if he hung around someone like him. Even if Ecchio seemed a bit weird, calling older girls pretty. Roku didn't really get it.

With help from Teuchi, Ecchio easily led Roku to his apartment, although, they climbed the back fire escape to gain access to the small apartment. It was cozy, though. The living room was average sized with a sofa, television set and a counter that led to the kitchen. A short hall led to the bedroom and bathroom. Roku got uneasy, however, as he saw towels piled up in the middle of the living room floor, drenched in dried, brownish blood."Uhm… E… Ecchio…" Roku pointed. Ecchio blinked and followed his finger, then beamed, waving his hand at the mess.

"Sorry, I forgot ta clean up my mess. Is from when I woke up." He responded. Roku stared at him, confused, but Ecchio said nothing more about the mess and continued on into the kitchen happily. Roku followed after, looking around.

"Well," Ecchio said, opening the fridge, having to hop up a bit to grab the handle, "I has some ramen cups left… And, some ice cream…"

"Eh?" Roku peeked into the fridge, then looked at Ecchio, still completely lost. Adults, right? Adults were supposed to take care of kids when they were little. Roku remembered the old man from back at the scary cells. The old man took care of him, but he went somewhere that Roku didn't know about. He left Roku with Ruriko. Where was the adult in Ecchio's place?

Roku went to try and question, but Ecchio was pulling out some rainbow colored ice cream and grabbing a chair from the corner. Ecchio pushed the chair in front of a counter and hopped onto it to open up some cupboards, getting out a couple spoons.

"I hope ya like it!" He said, hopping off with the ice cream. However, he winced, losing his excited expression for a split second before smiling a bit weakly up at Roku.

"Ow, that hurt… I forgot my feet still hurted." He replied. Roku looked at him a little sadly, tilting his head.

"Ecchio… No… Big peoples?" He asked. Ecchio blinked, looking at him for a moment to let the words sink in before he laughed.

"Adults? I don't has any. I doesn't need none! I woke up without any adults and I just fine!" He answered cheerily, leading Roku into the living room, displaying a bit of a limp as they walked. Roku averted his eyes as he hopped up on the couch beside Ecchio, who flipped on the TV. Roku stared in awe at the picture box as Ecchio settled down comfortably.

"Ecchio." Roku said as they ate the ice cream. Ecchio looked up, licking blue ice cream off his spoon.

"Eh? What?"

"Tell?" Roku asked. Ecchio cocked his head.

"Tell what?" He questioned. Roku shifted on the couch, trying to find the words as they bounced around in his head like jumping beans.

"Ahm… Hap… Happen…?" He asked, pointing toward the towels again. Ecchio pouted a little.

"But that story is so boring! Is like a month er something old!" He exclaimed. Roku stared at him, urging him with his eyes to continue. Ecchio sighed, taking the spoon out of his mouth to shrug.

"It's nofin special… I just woke up on the floor over there. I couldn't remember what happened before. I just found the whole place empty, cept for the bloody stuff that I was lying in. It was icky! So I got up and put some towels there… I forgot to clean 'em up since I dun really wanna be home… S'too quiet. I like runnin' 'round the village and meeting everybody! That's my goal!" He declared. Roku nodded, smiling a little.

"Nice." He replied. Ecchio nodded with a grin, then poked him.

"And you, huh? Can you tell a story?" He asked. Roku waited, looking around. His vocabulary wasn't big enough to explain all the hellish and yet fun life he'd led up until now. His eyes landed on a crayon and notebook sticking out from under the sofa. He bent down and held it up to Ecchio, who just nodded.

Roku started drawing.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: LONG. Kinda. XD 12 pages. Decided to stop it here since it's pretty late right now. C: I hope you guys like this! Yea, I've never **_**actually **_**hung around a 3-year-old before, so I don't quite know how they act or anything… :'D Hopefully I got Ecchio close enough. o3o Decided to stick a little cute filler sort of thingy mahjig in there with Roku. A lot of people seem to like him~ :D! Well, thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews would be just fantastic!**


	39. Chapter 39

**WOO. O: Another chapter~**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**Fumichi Ecchio**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Nine: **Rules and Regulations are Mandatory. Cannibalism Revealed!**

"I can't believe this," Akira whined, "He was right next to me and I only stop to flirt for one second and he's off!" Nero shook his head, looking the other way at the shops lining the streets.

"I hope you don't plan on having kids… They run around and they're a bunch of annoying brats." He responded. Akira beamed, giving Nero a little smack on the back and making him wince.

"Of course I want kids! I love kids! They're so cute and adorable and you get to dress them up and teach them the rules of the world!" He replied cheerfully. Nero sweat dropped.

"It sounds more like dolls than kids."

"There's a difference?"

"Yea. Kids scream and cry… And get lost." Nero added. Akira laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm working on it! I'm only eighteen!"

"And Kasumi's only fifteen."

"… So? I like young girls~ And it's not like we're dating… Not yet! I will ask her out as soon as I get everything together and all this drama passes over." Akira explained simply, folding his arms over his chest. Nero sighed before yawning.

"I don't get what's up with all this mushy romance going on around here. I had enough with Daisuke and Sora. Then there was Kishi and Eiji. Now you and Kasumi. What the freaking hell?" He muttered. Akira grinned, poking him in the cheek and making his eye twitch comically in annoyance.

"You're just jealous is all! You need to find a girlfriend, who's not my stubborn, man-beating sister." He added. Nero rolled his eyes, huffing.

"I don't need a girlfriend."

"Boyfriend then?" Akira asked with a grin. Nero went pink and smacked him upside the head.

"Shut up! I have me, myself, and I. That's all I do need." He retorted. Akira held the back of his head, whining a little.

"Jeez, you're strong…"

"I have to be to carry this thing around." Nero responded flatly, thrusting a thumb toward the heavy maul strapped to his back. Akira blinked, then beamed at him.

"And girls like strong guys~"

"I couldn't possibly care less."

"The more you keep denying it, the more noticeable it is that you need a girlfriend."

"Why am I even helping you find this kid if all you're doing is pestering me?"

"Oh be quiet," Akira huffed, his eyes scanning the streets as he walked, "My gods, how hard is it to find a little kid? There can't be that many children running around in Konohagakure… At least, there aren't that many in Sunagakure."

"What does that tell you?" Nero asked. Akira looked at him blankly. Nero rolled his eyes in aggravation. Sometimes he felt like he was the only smart one wherever he went.

"Sunagakure obviously has more rules. Konoha lets their kids run around and cause trouble. They need someone to watch them." He explained. Akira raised an eyebrow.

"What if some kids have no parents?" He asked. Nero frowned, then scuffed.

"Then they should at least find some family to stay with, even if it's not their own. Kids that run around without parents don't know any rules or good from bad, they just play around on their emotions. Why do you think some of the kids around here are total brats, like that Naruto kid? And their so-called friend, Sasuke… They grow up on their own and have no one to teach them what's good and what's bad. They just ruin everyone else's lives because they're acting on their emotions." He muttered. Akira frowned.

"But, Nero, it's not their fault. Naruto said he never had any parents. Sasuke's were obviously killed in that massacre by his brother. They couldn't control that. And what kind of kid would stay with a bunch of strangers…?" He shifted a bit uncomfortably as they paused in front of an alley. Nero looked at him flatly.

"Good question. That's what I thought when my dad dumped me with my aunt and uncle. I had never met them before. Sometimes people have to do things they don't want to." He replied. Akira rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips.

"Yea, well, if there's another way, then I say take it! Since when have you gotten so mean?" He asked. Nero snorted.

"Mean my ass. I'm just telling the truth. Look, I'm too tired to argue with you over something so touchy. We need to keep looking for Roku… Or are you going to be the one to tell Ruriko that you lost her little boy?" He questioned. Akira flinched.

"You don't have to be so harsh. I said I'll find him and I will!" He insisted, then pushed past him. Nero sighed, but followed reluctantly, frowning to himself.

**Later…**

"Wow," Ecchio mused, "That's a long story… But so cool! I wanna meet 'em!" Roku smiled a little, then yelped when Ecchio hugged him tightly.

"I like you, Roku. You should stay here with me!" He announced. Roku sweat dropped and poked him in the side.

"Na… Find… Er, Aki-raa."

"Aww… That's no fair," Ecchio huffed, pouting, but he got up anyway, thrusting a finger in the air, "Fine, let's go find Akira!" Roku smiled and followed Ecchio off the fire escape out the living room window. They landed in the dirt below in the alley before walking out into the street, where little shops were set up. Ecchio looked up and down the streets before shrugging.

"Let's try this way!" He beamed and took Roku's elbow, leading him down the street. Roku sighed, but followed after anyway. They walked down the street, taking a few twists and turns before they ended up at the hospital. Ecchio huffed.

"He's probably in there… He's a doctor ninja, right?" He asked. Roku nodded. Ecchio sighed.

"I guess we has to go in here then… I just hope they dun say nofin about my feet." He mumbled as they walked in. Roku nodded and they walked into the building, the odd smell of medicine and sterile objects filling the cool air. Ecchio plugged his nose, pouting. Roku ignored the smell and walked around the hospital, taking small little peeks into room before he came to the end of a hall, two familiar girls walking the other way.

"You can't be serious," Kasumi was muttering, "You're only fifteen… Maybe you guessed wrong?" The pink haired kunoichi shook her head slowly, holding her arms in front of her.

"I don't know… I'm hoping so. I'm a little afraid to tell Lady Tsunade…"

"Then tell Shizune. I'm sure she'll know what to do."

"I pray so-" She was cut off as Roku stepped out of the hallway with Ecchio stumbling behind.

"Na!" He yelled. Sakura and Kasumi jumped, whipping around to see the two toddlers at the end of the hall. Sakura blinked, then sweat dropped. Kasumi sighed.

"I think we found Akira's kid." She stated. Roku smiled and Ecchio grinned behind him, shifting from foot to foot.

"They're cute, Roku. You didn't say nofin about 'em bein' cute." He said quietly. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" She demanded. Ecchio just grinned at her. Kasumi shook her head, ignoring the argument and bent down a little, reaching out a hand to Roku.

"Come on, kid. Akira's probably running around the village in a panic because you ditched him." She said. Roku nodded and took her hand. Kasumi stood up and glanced at a blushing Sakura.

"Hey, I'm gonna go find Akira. Take care of that kid's feet." She added, pointing at Ecchio, who yelped. Sakura looked at Ecchio's feet, her eyes a little wide.

"Oh! I didn't notice that… Thanks, Kasumi." She said with a smile. Kasumi nodded and led Roku out of the building, sighing a little.

"Finally I got out of there. Way too busy and I had enough with those files…" She murmured, yawning a little. Roku looked up at her.

"Doctor?" He asked. Kasumi blinked and looked at him before smiling.

"Kind of. I'm working on medical techniques." She replied. Roku smiled back. He was beginning to feel more comfortable in this village. He had no intentions in leaving, he decided. Even if Ruriko came back and told him to leave. They kept walking until they found a small shop where Akira was sitting with Nero, groaning.

"I'm never gonna find him! Then Ruriko's going to kill me!" Akira whined. Nero frowned, then glanced over his shoulder to see Kasumi approaching with Roku in hand, making him blink, then smirk.

"Hey, Akira." He said.

"She's going to rip my head off! And then Kasumi won't wanna date me!"

"Akira."

"Or have kids!"

"AKIRA."

"Excuse me?" Kasumi demanded, coming up behind him. Akira twitched and leapt to his feet, throwing his arms out.

"Kasumi~! You found him!" He exclaimed. Kasumi smirked, but it hinted annoyance as she let go of Roku's hand.

"Yea, actually, he found me at the hospital. What was that about kids?" She asked. Akira twitched, then laughed a little.

"Oh, just thinking ahead is all~ Ignore that~ Sorry if he caused you any trouble." He added, patting Roku on the head. Kasumi shrugged, then raised an eyebrow at Akira.

"No trouble… Just keep an eye on him or else he's gonna get hurt." She replied. Akira smiled sweetly, tilting his head a little.

"You know, that's kind of hard when it's just me." He said slowly. Kasumi blinked, then stared at him.

"Oh?" She asked. Akira nodded, grinning.

"Yup. Why don't you help me out?" He asked. Kasumi paused, her expression thoughtful as she put her hands on her hips. Behind them, Nero sat at the table, taking a sip of his chai tea, raising an eyebrow curiously.

_Che, it's just an excuse so he can hang around her. I hope she knows that… I wonder if Roku even knows it. I swear, Akira's just a pervert and nothing else. Using his excuse of being a medical ninja to touch people. Ugh, I am so glad I don't visit the doctors._ He thought, shaking his head.

"All right," Kasumi agreed at last, folding her arms over her chest, "I'll help you take care of him, but only until Ruriko comes back. Then I've got to get back to all my training so I can become a Jounin." Akira beamed.

"That's great! You're the best, Kasumi! I knew I loved you!"

"Oh, keep it in your pants!"

"Try, but maybe not succeed!"

"Ugh!" Kasumi smacked her forehead as Akira hugged on her, Roku blinking in confusion. Nero rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his tea.

"I can hear the wedding bells now," He muttered to himself, then looked at Roku, "Take a seat, I'll order you something." Roku looked at him, then smiled and obeyed easily, much to Nero's pleasure. Akira and Kasumi sat down to eat as well.

"This is a comfortable setting," Akira declared as he ate his meal of tataki, "We should do this more often!" Kasumi nodded slightly as she ate, taking a sip of her tea.

"It's better than running around, that's for sure." Nero agreed, glancing at Roku curiously. Akira and Kasumi followed his gaze to see Roku using the skewers of his kushiyaki to make a chain around the scarf on his waist.

"That's an interesting habit." Kasumi commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, those things are sharp. I guess they are useful." Akira mused. Nero studied Roku's movements, his little hands taking the skewers and carefully tying them with thread of his clothes. Nero looked back at his oshiruko, watching the dark liquid ripple.

"His teeth are sharp." He stated. Kasumi and Akira looked at him, confused before looking at Roku, who went to eat again. It was clearly visible that Roku's teeth were slightly sharper than average, particularly his canine teeth.

"Is he some kind of cannibal?" Kasumi asked and looked at Akira, who blinked a little, then shrugged, looking at his food thoughtfully.

"Maybe? That's weird. I've never really met a cannibal outside our family."

"Can you be so sure?" Nero asked. Akira huffed, then nodded as he studied Roku eating.

"I don't think he's related to any of the Tsukuyomi Clan. We have specific styles of eating and not to mention, from the looks of it, he's gaining energy by eating… We don't get that kind of energy from eating. That's why people get confused and argumentative about whether our cannibalism is a Kekkei Genkai or just a learned habit. From the looks of this, Roku's is a Kekkei Genkai." He explained. Nero frowned and looked at Roku, noticing that Roku did look a bit more energized, like he could run around for hours.

"That's interesting…" He mused. Kasumi glanced at Akira.

"You don't even know if you have a Kekkei Genkai or not?" She asked. Akira laughed a little.

"Personally, I don't think it's a Kekkei Genkai. I think it's just something we're born to know. Most humans can't digest raw flesh because they don't have the bacteria in their stomach to break everything down. Dogs have this bacteria, which is why they can consume raw meat. For some reason, the Tsukuyomi Clan happens to have this kind of bacteria in our stomachs, explaining why we don't get sick from eating the raw flesh of our opponents. It's kind of nifty. Our father used to make jokes saying we evolved from dogs." He smiled a little at the thought. Nero glanced up at him, then back at Roku.

"He has the same bacteria then?" He asked. Akira nodded. Kasumi blinked, looking a bit impressed.

"Huh. That explains it. So that means you don't have the risk of getting food poisoning from raw fish or anything?" She asked. Akira grinned."Exactly. Ruriko loves sushi, she hasn't gotten sick yet." He replied.

"I think I agree with your dad," Nero mused, "I think you do come from dogs." Akira laughed and Kasumi smirked. Roku looked at them, smiling contently. He liked being around these people. He would like to see what Ruriko was up to, just to make sure she was safe, but he knew she'd want him to stay here and he could see why.

He was just curious… Was Ruriko just as fine as she was when he left her?

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: DAMN IT. I almost forgot write the author's note again. I'm a fail. xD; I was just too excited. My bad… I hope I explained the cannibalism thing right… :'D I had to do a lot of researching for that bit. Sorry the chapter's short, you know, compared to the others… Anyway, thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	40. Chapter 40

**ANOTHER LONG CHAPTER! WIN! ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV again~**

****

Chapter Forty: **Never Learning a Lesson! Getting Beat Down!**

I really didn't think moving around at night was the greatest thing in the world, but Sasuke kept saying I had gotten enough sleep from my nap back at the hotel. Says him, he wasn't the one who woke up with Naruto's hand on his chest. I rolled my eyes at the thought as we moved through the trees.

Sasuke looked a lot better than he did before, I had to say. Some color had come back to his face and his fingers were just a light pink now. He still had his nasty attitude, though. You'd think the near death experience would teach him a little respect!

"Ugh, this is stupid," Suigetsu muttered, "I can barely see where we're going!" Karin groaned.

"And I'm still exhausted. I didn't get that much sleep…" She whined softly in annoyance. Juugo said absolutely nothing, but he looked a little tired himself. Even so, Sasuke ignored us and kept pushing on ahead. The night was getting humid and I was missing the blizzards of the Land of Snow. We didn't stop to rest at all, even as the sun began to peek over the tree line. My feet were sore and I wanted to relax, but that's when finally something big was happening.

But not so much for the better.

"Sasuke, wait! There's a large amount of chakra coming from the west!" Karin called. Sasuke came to a stop on a tree branch. I landed beside him, Juugo on his other side and Karin behind us. Suigetsu just barely landed correctly, wobbling a little and fumbling for his water bottle.

"West?" Sasuke asked, glancing in that direction. Karin nodded.

"There's… Three of them… Moving around somewhere not too far from here." She murmured thoughtfully, clasping her hands together tightly.

"We're heading that way." Sasuke commanded. I blinked and huffed.

"What? What if it's not Akatsuki? They travel in pairs, right? She said three!" I protested, but Suigetsu snorted, cutting in.

"Don't be stupid. Akatsuki goes around picking up those demons, right? That must be the source of the third chakra." He retorted. I scowled at him, but Sasuke wasn't having any more arguments or suggestions as he immediately shot off. I sighed and went after him, the rest of the group following close behind.

This was a waste of time. I had a feeling Sasuke was about to give up and just kill me, so I had to keep my guard up all the time. He was getting impatient and I could tell, especially back at the hotel when he had smacked me. Next time, I have a strong feeling he's going to do more than just smack me.

We landed on the ground, finding ourselves looking at a huge cave built into the side of a cliff. The cave was surrounded by a lot of trees and could have easily been missed if Karin hadn't kept telling us to keep moving forward.

"All right," Sasuke ordered firmly, "You three stay out here and make sure no one enters or bothers. Ruriko, you're coming with me."

"Eh? Why me?" I cried. Sasuke flashed me a sharp glare, so I gave up arguing and followed him into the creepy, dark and damp cave that just screamed GO AWAY. I glanced around, hearing the faint sound of rushing water from somewhere deep in the cave, but the big scene was a huge statue just across from the opening. However, it was broken up and looked kind of old. Sasuke frowned, scanning the cave. I kept a considerable few feet from him, just in case he decided to go off on me for taking him to an old meeting spot for Akatsuki.

"I don't know if you're trying to mock me or not," Sasuke began calmly, "But if you think for one second-"

"Hold up," I protested, waving my hands in surrender, "Karin did say she felt chakra coming from this direction! You can't get mad at me for this!"

"And who's the one who led us here in the first place?" Sasuke challenged. His Sharingan was turned on and he was angry. I flinched.

"Is it my fault you chose to believe me?" I demanded. Sasuke glared.

"So you were lying."

"I never said-"

"If you think…" Sasuke's voice trailed off at the sound of voices coming from one of the caverns leading from the inside of the cave. Sasuke grimaced and grabbed my arm, jerking me back. I yelped and stumbled a little, falling on my ass as Sasuke pulled us behind a few thick stalagmites. He frowned, peeking over the edge. I followed his gaze.

Across the cave, coming out from behind the statue were four familiar figures. The first was Kaede, but she had noticeable burns on her arms and legs. She still had that sick twisted smirk on her face and she was giggling about something. Gatsuki came after her, his arm in a sling and I could see that somehow, some way, his hand was back where it belonged! Kage seemed to just morph right out of the shadows, his shoes crunching on the dirt.

And then came their ruthless leader, Kotaro. He didn't wear the heavy cloak he wore back in the Land of Snow, so his dark gray turtleneck with shoulder-length sleeves and matching lighter gray sleeveless jacket could be seen. His black fingerless gloves, with crème armor that resembled the Anbu's, were stained with blood that dripped off his fingers. His dark gray pants had blood staining the bottoms and he looked like he had just gotten back from 'disposing' someone.

"… A waste of time," Gatsuki was muttering, "Unbelievable. If we hadn't of gone after those stupid brats, we wouldn't have missed them."

"Oh quit complaining," Kaede huffed, "At least we got _some_ information from this whole thing, kya!" Kage frowned and glanced at Kotaro, who was flicking the blood off his gloves.

"Are we heading back home then, master?" He asked. Kotaro scanned the cave a little bit longer, his expression hinting aggravation.

"Not yet… We're missing something." He stated.

"Hm? But what else could possibly be here, kya?" Kaede asked, confused, but having quieted her voice so as not to irritate her master any further. Gatsuki frowned.

"We gathered the last of the information they left here. Kage even scanned the entire structure. There's no other traces of that silly organization." He put in quietly. Kotaro walked forward some more, standing in the center of the room. I frowned, waiting for him to do something, maybe even snap at them or Kaede, who was hopping from foot to foot like she was bored with the whole situation.

I tried not to jump as Kotaro swung his arm around at the statue. He gathered a huge amount of electricity in his palm, making the air in the cave almost insufferable. Then he released the cracking orb of electricity, causing it to slam right into the statue. The whole cave trembled under the power and the statue cracked open like an egg. Kaede yelped in shock, leaping away.

Gatsuki frowned, side stepping a pile of rubble. Kage really didn't move at all, the rocks flying right through his smoky appearance. He looked like he was having trouble keeping his solid form. The dust curled away from the statue and Kotaro stepped toward it peering in calmly. Gatsuki and Kaede inched forward to investigate as well. Sasuke seemed pretty damn curious himself as he got on his knees, peering over some more. I went to do the same, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, signaling that someone was behind me.

I frowned and glanced over my shoulder, Sasuke doing the same. My eyes shot wide open and horror filled my body as I scrambled back into Sasuke. I opened my mouth to scream, but Sasuke clamped a hand over my mouth, his other arm grabbing onto me to keep me from squirming. Coming up behind us was a huge spider, but not natural huge, HUGE HUGE!

It was a sleek white with thin, long legs and a pointed, yet round body. All its eyes were bright red and its mouth was big enough for me to see its teeth, thick gunk sliding between its teeth.

Shiver after shiver ran through my body and I was trying to jerk away from Sasuke, but he kept a harsh grip on me, gritting his teeth and trying not to hiss curses at me. He glanced back over the stalagmites to see what was happening, but my eyes were locked on the spider. It didn't exactly look like it could see us.

It scuttled to the side, its legs touching up along the wall before it drifted back over to the stalagmites in front of us. Its long spindly leg brushed mine and I tensed up. I tried to keep back any sounds building in my throat, and scooted back just a bit more. I rather be smashed up against Sasuke than near that thing!

Over the stalagmites, Kotaro was stepping away from the cracked open statue, holding a scroll in his fist. He seemed less annoyed now, putting the old scroll in his black weapons pouch.

"What was that, kya?" I heard Kaede question curiously, peeking at Kotaro's weapons pouch, but being careful to keep a distance.

"Information." Kotaro answered shortly, his eyes flickering as if he had a little secret before he looked at Gatsuki, who seemed to be smiling very deviously behind the green cloth over his nose and mouth. Kaede blinked, clueless and Kage averted his eyes… Right toward the stalagmites. Sasuke flinched and immediately came back down.

This time, the spider had its jaws wide open. My eyes went wider and I slammed my fist on Sasuke's leg, hoping he got my 'HOLYSHITLET'SGO' message. Sasuke glared at me for it, but swung his sword forward and sliced the arachnid in half. A thick blackish red gunk pooled on the floor as the spider collapsed. We were deathly silent now, listening to the sound of the other shinobi's shoes scuffing on the dirt.

Sasuke slowly removed his hand and let me go, rolling his eyes. I shuddered and smacked quietly at the part of my leg where the spider had touched. I shivered again, but froze when an odd liquid dripped from somewhere above. It landed right on the toe of my shoe.

It wasn't a liquid, not really as I looked closer. It was white and soft, but very sticky. I couldn't even lift my shoe out of it. I jerked my head up, Sasuke doing the same. This time he didn't move fast enough and I screamed.

"OHMYGOD, IT'S FUCKING HUGE!" I shrieked at the sight of the white spider. This time, the eight-legged freak was about the side of a freaking house! It was stuck to the ceiling of the cave, hanging by a thick web. The gunk that had fallen on my shoe was part of its web, having fallen apart from a hatching egg, revealing a pair of spiders the same size as the one that had curiously crawled behind us before. I screamed again and Sasuke cursed at me for it. One of the spiders came down from the ceiling and he slashed at it with his sword. I finally tore my foot out of the thick webbing and scrambled to my feet, bolting from the hiding spot.

Yea, it was stupid, but come on! There was a spider the size of a fucking ramen shop sticking to the ceiling above us! I was so not staying put!

Of course, stupid me, ran right out into the open. Kotaro seemed to be expecting it, however, looking up with a raised an eyebrow as I skidded to a halt, just a few feet in front of him. Gatsuki snickered pleasantly, Kaede joining in with her obnoxious giggling.

"Scared of spiders, kyaa!" Kaede laughed.

"Pretty stupid of you to come running out here in the open like that. You must really hate those little things." Gatsuki mused. I twitched, clenching my fists and trying my best not to panic.

"Little! Those things were fucking gigantic! And disgusting and just gross!" I yelled at him, then flinched when Kotaro shifted, just shifted. I took a step back. Great, I just got myself into trouble. I shut my eyes and waited to get blasted to pieces, but instead, there was a loud crackle and shriek. I opened my eyes and yelped, jumping back just in time for that huge, house-sized spider to hit the ground. Kotaro and his subordinates had leapt back, taking up a position on the statue to avoid getting slammed with the spider. It's huge body gave a final twitch before Sasuke came down from the ceiling, landing on its belly. Blood caked his entire left side, particularly his arm, some splashed up onto his face.

"You're really making me regret that I didn't kill you," Sasuke spat at me, making me glare, "Can't keep quiet for a single second…" He glanced at Kotaro, who seemed to be looking a bit smug about the whole situation.

"I'm surprised you haven't been killed yet," The international criminal said calmly, "That spider was rather large, much bigger than you." Sasuke glared at him, Sharingan full activated to match his annoyance.

"I'm not afraid of a stupid parasite." He replied flatly. I averted my eyes when Sasuke flashed me a sharp glare as if to say 'unlike a certain someone'.

"Tch." Was my totally intelligent response. It's not like he wasn't scared of anything, the bastard!

"Interesting display," Kotaro responded, standing up straight and calm, "Let's watch you two dance a little more then, if you're so confident in your abilities." He looked at Gatsuki, who nodded and swung out his good hand, easily making a hand sign with the one in the sling, making me blink in surprise.

Those stupid vampire moths came back, in a bigger swarm this time. Sasuke back flipped and easily used that special jutsu of his, causing electricity to spark through the air and kill the moths. I winced as the first one smacked into my cheek, biting hard. I swung my hand up and knocked it away. I grabbed a handful, crushing them and biting into a few more, but spitting them out afterwards.

Ugh, they tasted terrible, those furry little things.

I looked up in time to see Kotaro make a hand sign, causing a huge stalactite to shoot from the ceiling toward Sasuke, who was just landing on his feet on the huge spider's belly. I winced.

"Sasuke!" I yelled, then yelped when a foot flung up to kick me in the face. I winced and skidded back, wiping blood from my mouth to see Kaede smirking at me, revealing a deep scar spreading from the left corner of her mouth and out across her cheek like a half smile.

"I never got to pay you back throwing me down that crevice, kya! Get ready to feel the same pain I felt, brat!" She laughed at me and made a hand sign with one of her hands, swinging her other hand up toward me. I yelped when strong whips of wind lashes at me, cutting into my cheek and limbs. I back flipped to avoid anymore, landing just as Kaede started up a fire jutsu. Hot flames shot forward and I jumped again, using my chakra to keep me against the wall. I didn't stay there for long because Kaede giggled and pointed up.

"Peek-a-boo, kyaaa!" Kaede laughed wildly. I jerked my head up as a surviving white spider scurried toward me, saliva dripping from its mouth. I yelped and lost my balance, slamming into the ground below. Kaede was starting up another jutsu, but I managed to make a hand sign, sending a huge bolt of lightening shoot at her. Kaede dodged to the side, skidding across the dirt. I managed to scramble to my feet, kicking her hard in the face and sending her flying into the statue.

Gatsuki made no move help her, though. I think he had learned his lesson after his hand was chopped off. Kage was no where in sight, which kept me on guard. I looked up as Sasuke just barely dodged a flash of lightening from Kotaro, followed by the jagged stalactites from above shooting downwards and piercing the spider's body. I flinched and took a deep breath before pushing off the ground.

I can't believe I was about to touch a spider!

I landed on the spider's belly, cringing at the sleek, wet feeling of its body before looking up in time for Sasuke to almost slam into me. I yelped out loud, flailing to catch my balance before Sasuke jerked me back onto my feet.

"Don't mess around! We're leaving! Now!" He ordered in my face before letting go. He swung around, catching a bolt of lightening directed at his face. I saw his fingers twitch, growing scorched on the tips. He gasped and let go, jerking back. He coughed into his hand and I noticed a droplet or two of blood.

"Shit," I muttered, "It's just like Sakura said. You still have some of the poison in your body. You need to be careful." Sasuke scowled a little, shaking the blood off his hand.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go." He commanded and nodded to me to go to the side to avoid an attack from Kotaro. I ducked out of the way just in time as a stalactite shot from the ceiling. I bolted forward to avoid the rocks that came crashing down with it. That's when I noticed the scroll sticking out of Kotaro's weapons pouch as he used another lightening jutsu to make Sasuke jump around it. My eyes widened with curiosity.

Yea, I know. I should've learned my lesson from stealing the files back in the Land of Snow, but curiosity got the best of me. I darted forward. Kotaro whipped around, a kunai in hand. I yelped and ducked, doing a quick roll across the sleek spider's belly to grab the scroll right out of his weapons pouch.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke demanded as I managed to skid right beside him on my feet.

"Getting information." I panted, shoving the scroll into my kunai holster on my leg. Sasuke frowned, but his eyes flickered as he jerked his head up.

"Ruriko…!" He started, but I had already felt it. I gasped as a kunai shot across my ankles, slicing open my calves and causing blood to spurt free. I collapsed to my knees, wincing.

"You've got a knack for stealing things," Kotaro muttered, "I would have thought you'd learned your lesson after what happened last time… Perhaps a repeat is in order." He made a few hand signs. I flinched, then yelped as Sasuke grabbed me up under his arm.

"Hold on." He commanded. I flailed a little.

"H-Hey! Don't pick me up like this! SASUKE!" I yelled, but he completely ignored me and swung his sword out at Kotaro, just as a huge explosion of electricity shot from his palm and outwards in a thick bolt of lightening, which collided with Sasuke's sword. Sasuke skidded down the side of the spider and hit the ground, this time shifting me into his arms before he took off out the cave, leaving a huge explosion sounding from behind him.

We met up with Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo, taking off into the trees. I went to yell at Sasuke again, but my eyes shifted behind him in time to see a spider shooting from the cave, tailing us. It was half the size of the house-sized one back in the cave and it was angry as hell as it made a hissing sound.

"HOLYSHIT. Sasuke! There's another spider! SASUKE!"

"I heard you! Shut up!" Sasuke ordered and he came to a stop on a tree branch, looking at Juugo, who had twitched. Sasuke opened his mouth to command Juugo to calm down, but Juugo was already whipping around and going after the spider. Sasuke cursed and set me down on the tree branch, glaring at me as well as Karin and Suigetsu.

"Stay put or I'll smash your heads in." Sasuke threatened and whipped around, taking off after Juugo. I grimaced a little. Karin bent down to examine my ankles.

"That's gotta hurt… You can't walk?"

"Well, judging by the fact that Sasuke had to carry me _again_, I think that says something." I muttered. Karin whined, stomping her foot on the branch.

"You lucky! I wish Sasuke would carry me!" She cried. I twitched and whipped around to smack her, but she managed to scramble out of the way.

"Be my guest," I snapped, "Lemme just rip off one of your legs!"

"Touchy," Suigetsu smirked, "You really have an attitude."

"Pot calling the kettle black," I retorted, then shifted, taking the scroll from my kunai holster, "I'm uneasy. I stole another thing from that guy, Kotaro."

"Do you have a death wish?" Suigetsu demanded. Karin put her hands on her hips, glaring at me too.

"Yea, really! Don't you remember what he did to us last time? That creep totally hunted us down!" She snarled. I scowled and shoved the scroll in my shirt, shaking my head.

"Be quiet. It's information that we'll need to get after Akatsuki. Kotaro's always several steps ahead of us and I was trained to take advantage, every chance I get to steal information. If I have to steal from a guy more dangerous than freaking Orochimaru, then I'll do it, even if he does hunt us down! Besides, I can always use you guys if he wants to kill anyone." I added with a grin.

"SHUT UP!" They both yelled down at me. I smirked, but it was short lived as I heard a faint rustling sound. I jerked my head up and whipped around in time to see something flash behind Suigetsu and Karin.

"You guys…!" I managed, but not before something went over my mouth and nose, a weird sweet smell wavering off it. Then I blacked out.

**Later…**

I was sore, that was for damn sure. My back ached and my wrists and ankles stung like hell. I managed to open my eyes, my vision blurry before focusing. I found myself staring at a stone floor before I shot upright, wincing. I looked around, finding that my hands were tightly wired together at my back, my ankles wired as well. I looked over to find Karin slumped against the wall, tied with wire as well.

I looked up. We were in a stone room with no windows, but a barred one at the top and a heavy wooden door with metal bars pushed across it. I frowned, then looked back at Karin, nudging my feet out at her.

"Karin… Karin get up!" I ordered and kicked her in the ribs. Karin jolted awake, yelping and lifting her head to reveal that the left lens of her glasses were cracked. She had a drop of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth and forehead. I frowned.

"Karin, what happened?" I demanded. Karin blinked a little, dazed before biting her lip and frowning.

"I don't know… I was going to yell at you, you know, for stealing that scroll… When someone came up behind us… I just remember something sweet…" She murmured. I frowned, then gasped and looked down my shirt. The scroll was gone. I flinched, my face going a little pink.

"Oh my gods, that asshole! Ugh! He nabbed us after stealing the scroll, shit! Unbelievable! And he obviously has no respect for unconscious women." I added under my breath, making Karin huff in annoyance. Karin and I looked at the door.

"Now what? And where's Suigetsu? What if he got Juugo and Sasuke?" Karin cried in horror. I grimaced.

"Let's hope not… And knowing this guy, he's a big fan of torture. We need to get out and fast… Karin, come over here and use your teeth to get into my kunai holster." I commanded. Karin inched over on her knees and leaned down, flicking the holster open with her tongue before using her teeth to pull out a kunai.

"Now what?" She asked pasted the kunai in her teeth. I shifted, nodding to the ground, making Karin spit it out. I turned and picked it up with my fingers, flipping it upwards and began to cut at the wire.

"When I get out of this, I'm going to let you go," I began to explain, "Then we're going to go find Suigetsu, grab the scroll, and get out of here, all right?" Karin gaped at me in horror.

"Are you stupid? Forget the scroll! And forget Suigetsu! We need to go find Sasuke and get out of here!"

"Why am I not surprised you said that?"

"Shut up! Suigetsu's just a pain in the ass and Juugo's always causing Sasuke stress with his sudden personality changes!"

"Good point. And there's you."

"Huh?"

"The one who bitches none stop and whines about every single thing and steals Sasuke's clothes when he's not looking." I replied dryly. Karin went red, twitching a little.

"Sh-Shut up! You're no better! You're a lying cheating little bitch and you're leading Sasuke in the wrong direction!" She yelled. I raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. That about sums up Sasuke's totally kick ass awesome group of villains. Now shut up so I can concentrate." I answered calmly, making Karin roll her eyes. I cut through the wire at last, taking the kunai and cutting my ankles free. I even took the chance to rip a piece of clothe and wrap around my ankles before I stood up, wobbling a little. Karin looked up at me, glaring as if expecting me to make a run without her. I paused, looking down at her flatly.

"I should leave you here, like you wanted to leave Suigetsu and Juugo," I said calmly, making her twitch, "But… I'm not like you. So I'm going to help you. And then Suigetsu, then Sasuke and Juugo. And then I'm going to take the scroll, find Akatsuki, stop all this stupid shit from happening, go back home, and stuff my face with makizushi. If you have a problem with what I just said, say so now so I can 'accidentally' slit your throat."

Karin said nothing. I nodded and bent down, cutting through the wire on her wrists and ankles, allowing her to stand up. I made a hand sign after sticking the kunai in my holster, thrusting my other hand out at the door. Lightening shot forward in several bolts from my fingertips, burning them in the process, but easily shooting the door off its hinges and making the metal bars melt.

"Let's go," I commanded, "We'll keep looking until we find someone, but be quiet. He's probably got traps everywhere." Karin nodded and we slipped from the room, heading down the lantern lit hallway. We stayed at a walking to avoid any tripping of traps. Along the way, we stepped over several wire triggered traps as well as a few that were built into the fancy mosaic tiles of the halls. It was definitely a nicely built hideout. We walked into what looked like just a show room. There was a little platform with an arch built into the wall behind it, holding a statue of a horse and a woman, the woman pouring a bucket of water out into a pool just across the platform. It was definitely fancy and probably expensive. I glanced at Karin, who was staring in awe. I looked back up as we walked into another hallway. I noticed that there was a thin trail of water leading down the hallway toward a pair of large metal doors, opening just a slight crack. I frowned and peered inside, Karin pushing on me from behind to take a look.

Inside the room was a large glass box, or at least, it looked glass. The top of the thing was shut tight with no holes in the top, only a few long greenish lights. Why should there be holes in that box?

Because inside, Suigetsu was lying flat on his side, breathing heavily. I could tell it was unbearably uncomfortable in there as his body looked like it was melting and every so often, he was shift his hand toward the edge of the box, his finger splashing into a thin stream of water, trying to find a way out of the box, but it seemed to be sealed tight.

"Oh my gods…" Karin managed, covering her mouth. I frowned and glanced around the room. There was nothing else in the white room. It was like boredom and pain wrapped into one air tight room. I pushed the door open, releasing a huge blast of hot air as we walked in. Karin and I both winced. I moved forward, walking up to the box. I tapped on the glass, but Suigetsu didn't seem to even notice me. Karin frowned, almost pressing her face in on the glass.

"I think he's under a Genjutsu…" She murmured. I nodded.

"All right. We're going to have to crack this thing open and get him out. Maybe I can try and release the Genjutsu." I muttered. Karin blinked and scanned the case before pointing up.

"Wait, there's a cursed seal on the top of it. Look." I followed her gaze and frowned. I jumped up and landed on the side of the lid, finding the black paper stuck to the top. I studied the thing and the little incantation written on the top.

"Looks like this is the thing keeping him all docile… Stand back, Karin. This thing is gonna burst to pieces when I take it off." I told her. She nodded and leapt away a good distance before I reached down and ripped the tag off, leaping back quickly in the process.

Just as I thought, the lid of the box popped up and shot into the ceiling. The glass exploded, bursting into a million little shards. I landed on my feet, wincing a little and falling over onto my knees. My ankles were still sore and not ready for any harsh landings… I watched as Suigetsu shifted a little, panting hard for air.

"I need… Water…" He groaned. I looked at Karin, who looked at me. We both shrugged and went to grab him up under his arms, dragging him back toward the fountain that we had passed earlier. We chuckled Suigetsu in, where he gasped and opened his mouth to accept huge gulps of the water, sighing contently. I blinked, watching as he seemed to melt in with the water comfortably.

"Ahhh… Sooo much better…" He sighed comfortably, the water splashing on him. Karin rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest.

"Hmph! Where's our thanks?" She demanded. I sweat dropped as Suigetsu rolled over onto his back in the water, smirking at her.

"I forgot."

"ARGH! I hope someone pisses in this fountain, you asshole! Dickhead! Jerk!" Karin yelled at him. I ignored her, frowning as I walked toward the hallway. I had the oddest sensation that someone was watching us. I also took notice to the darkness of the hallway before I turned back to Karin and Suigetsu, who had begun to argue obnoxiously. I glared.

Seriously, I must be getting punished or something to have to be stuck with these two nimrods!

"Shut up," I hissed, "If you keep getting loud like that, they'll find us!" Karin and Suigetsu glanced up, both glaring and ready to shout at me, but Karin gasped.

"Ruriko, duck!" She shrieked, pointing. I blinked and hit the floor hard, popping back up and whipping around as a familiar someone stepped out of the shadows, curls of dark smoke coming together to make up his black and gray outfit. His grayish black hair fluttered lightly at the gently breeze his transformation caused, his smoky gray eyes like daggers.

"You're very mischievous…" Kage greeted calmly, his voice almost monotone-like. I glared at him, listening to Suigetsu stand up in the water, causing it to splash a little.

"Shut up and tell me what happened to Sasuke and Juugo." I ordered. Kage raised an eyebrow, but his expression still seemed blank.

"I only follow orders given by my master and no one else." He replied. I scowled, folding my arms over my chest.

"You're pretty damn loyal to an asshole like Kotaro." I retorted. Kage's eyes flashed and narrowed dangerously.

"I only allow myself to be led by the strongest… You have nerve speaking so lowly of a man who's beaten you on a couple accounts." He mused. I twitched, then glared.

"Shut the fuck up! If you're not going to tell me what happened to Sasuke and Juugo, I'll kill you!" I threatened. Kage averted his eyes, keeping his arms at his sides.

"They are not here. But it doesn't matter because you're all finished." He replied and swung his hand out, making a hand sign with it and flick his fingers. I yelped as a shadow shot from his foot and snapped at my ankles, causing me to fall on my knees. I cursed under my breath and went to grab at him, but my hand went right through him as he stepped back, his back against the wall with the shadows.

"You can't touch me," Kage said softly, "It's like trying to grab smoke." I cursed and spat in his direction, but of course, it went right through him. I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists on the ground. Shit, I was stuck.

Karin wasn't meant for fighting and Suigetsu was probably still weak from whatever they had been doing to him. And here I was, on my knees, and probably facing a torturous death, just fucking great! Kage raised his hand up, making a hand sign with his other hand, but just then the room began to shake slightly, followed by the screeching sound of a thousand birds. Everyone jerked their heads up as the roof exploded into dust.

I wanted to sigh with relief, but then again, Sasuke was probably just as dangerous as Kage. Sasuke burst through the roof, Juugo on his heels as they landed in the center of the room, allowing a huge blast of sunlight to enter the room. Kage's eyes darkened and he slid back into the hallway where it was dark. My eyes flickered.

That's it! Sunlight! He's a shadow!

I made a hand sign and swung my hand out at him, allowing a huge globe of light to emit from an orb of electricity in my palm. Kage's eyes widened and it looked like his hand was starting to sparkle and smoke at the same time. He tore backwards into the hallway and vanished with the shadows. I grimaced and released the jutsu before leaning back to whip around and glare at Sasuke, who was muttering about bad entrances.

"Thanks for showing up at the last minute!" I snapped. Sasuke scowled.

"I could've abandoned you completely, but I came back to find the scroll that Kotaro had… The one you had." He added, then raised an eyebrow. I received comical stares of impatience from Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Karin. I laughed a little nervously, rubbing the back of my head.

"Oh, right! The scroll! Haha, you see. Funny story. I stuck it in my shirt back in the cave and for some reason, when I woke up-"

"I don't believe you!" Suigetsu groaned in disgust, throwing his hands up. Juugo sighed and Karin smacked her forehead. Sasuke glared.

"You're kidding me… Ugh, I am so tempted to kill you right now." He started toward me. I winced and held up a hand toward him.

"Hold up, hold up! Don't waste your time on me! The scroll is somewhere in this place! If we can find it, then there's no need to get after me!" I protested. Sasuke frowned, kicked my hand away before turning.

"All right. Spread out and find the scroll. We'll meet back here to escape. Be careful… That guy is bound to alert the rest of the subordinates as well as Kotaro himself. Be on your guard and very careful. Karin, you're coming with me." He added, averting his eyes and walking down the hall with Karin happily tagging along. Suigetsu scuffed and trudged down a hall, Juugo going in an opposite one. I rolled my eyes and got to my feet shakily before heading down the hall and past the room Suigetsu had been held in previously.

I listened to my boots scuff on the mosaic tiles as I walked down the hallway. I was peeved off at Sasuke, completely ignoring how dangerous it was that I was throwing doors open. I was lucky the first few times to find empty rooms, some containing absolutely nothing. Just a waste of space!

The next time I wasn't so lucky. I threw open a door to find some men crowded around a table that had a few gold coins sitting at the center with some cards thrown down. They all wore that special symbol; the octagon with the two inverted triangles moving down to touch the top of another triangle that had its tip pointing down and covered with a circle.

They all jerked their heads up, glaring at me. I twitched and laughed a little.

"Ahaaa… Oops. Wrong door." I muttered. The first one jumped at me and I swung my foot out, kicking him hard in the face and slamming him into the table. I winced at the pain in my ankle and stumbled a little, but managed to duck as one shinobi jumped past me, flying right out the door and into the wall of the hall. I smirked, then yelped as I ducked to avoid a kick in the head. I made a few hand signs and swung my hand into the room, sending volts of electricity exploding inside, electrocuting the men inside.

I stepped back, then yelped as the man who had hit the wall whipped around and kicked me into the wall by the door. I flinched, then swung around and grabbed the man by the shoulders, making a stupid move, and slamming my head into his. He gasped and slumped to the ground. I rubbed my forehead.

"Ow." I muttered, then took off down the hallway. I rounded a corner and kept running, hoping that all the men behind me had been downed. I slowed down, then stopped and leaned on my knees, panting for breath and wincing at the pain in my ankles. Great, as if my shoulder wasn't already weak from Osamu's attack from the Chuunin Exams a long time ago. Now my ankles were going to be weak. It wasn't helping that I wore heels.

I sighed and stood up straight, wiping the sweat from my forehead before I continued to walk down the hall, quietly now and only pressing my ears to doors to listen for sounds. Most of the room either had subordinates in them or absolutely nothing. I rolled my eyes at the waste of space before I came to a large room. The entrance was a pair of heavy double doors, closed pretty tight, but not locked. I glanced up and down the hallways before daring to lean on the door. I heard nothing and carefully, quietly opened them.

I winced as soon as I did. It was a large, luxurious bedroom with a huge canopy bed with white and blue silks thrown upon it. Lying on the bed, Kotaro had his back to the door. I went still, holding my breath. He was sleeping, I could tell, from the way his chest rose and fell slowly. I inched forward, closing the doors as quietly as possible behind me.

I know, stupid move. Why would I sneak up on an internationally wanted criminal, who's almost killed me twice? Well, I needed that scroll and I could see that he had tucked it under his pale blue pillow. I walked up quietly to the side of the bed, peeking at him.

I got the same impression as when I had seen Sasuke sleeping. Seemingly peaceful and not bad looking, but extremely deadly. I let out my breath softly and quietly before sucking it back in, reaching out and grasping the scroll.

A hand shot out and grabbed mine, making me gasp.

"I was expecting you." Kotaro said calmly, his grip on my wrist tightening. I flinched.

Shit.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Yeaaa, the dramatic scene… o3o! I was super excited to right this, oh yea. xD I also want to throw this out there right now, since the last chapter reminded me of it… I don't know FOR SURE if I'm close to ending the Shippuden or not, but either way, it's nice to mention it now just in case! Part III of Shadows of Heroes will be posted under a different story name as a separate bit. The third part is where all our heroes, antagonists and protagonists, are adults in the shinobi world, some having lovers and some having children. C: I would like for those of you who have submitted OCs to pick both or one of those things. You can have a lover, but not children, or just a lover. You don't have to have a lover or kids at all! I would just like you to be thinking about your OCs as adults! :D You can pair them with other Ocs (So long as you ask permission from the user, first!) or a character from the show. However, three characters from the show are already taken: Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Sasuke. HOWEVER, Sasuke will be available a tad later on in the series, just putting that out there for Sasuke-fans. o3o Well, I think that's it for my totally long author's note… lol. Thanks so much for reading, hope the OCs are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	41. Chapter 41

**UPDATE. :D!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduce within this fan fiction, save for:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV. P:**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Forty-One: **Taking Out the Trash! New Destines Revealed!**

"Knowing that you have no skills in theft or stealth," Kotaro continued, squeezing my wrist as he sat up in bed, "You still came after me? I can't tell if you're stupid or silly, however, either way I won't let you get away this time. Not alive." I jerked at his grip, pushing on the bedpost.

"Let go!" I snapped, but Kotaro swung his hand around and slammed me into the wall, hard as he easily got out of bed to maneuver this. He twisted my hand behind my back, using his other hand to push my head against the wall.

"Drop the scroll." Kotaro commanded. I clenched my grip on the scroll instinctively, gritting my teeth. Kotaro narrowed his eyes and stopped pushing on my hand to grab the scroll from my grip, pulling my arm up. I gasped. Pain shot up my arm and made my weak shoulder throb. Kotaro raised an eyebrow.

"Your shoulder is weak… An amusing discovery." He jerked harder and I groaned.

"Let the fuck go! I'll eat your fucking throat out!" I yelled, but that just seemed to amuse him further.

"Hmph, I'm sure you will… Let's see how that goes if your arm is useless." Kotaro pulled my arm up further and a cracked echoed from my arm as I yelled in pain and stomped my foot back onto Kotaro's foot. Kotaro stepped away for a split second, glaring at me for it before I managed to jerk away and ducked down between his legs, bolting for the door.

However, he whipped around and grabbed my hair. I yelped and fell back against his legs, wincing in pain as I felt a few strands getting ripped loose. My hair fell from its ponytail as Kotaro gripped a handful tightly.

"You think something that small would make me jump? It might've worked on your little leader, Sasuke, but not me…" Kotaro reached down and snatched the scroll from my grip, shoving it into his weapons pouch and looking up as someone came into the room, shifting along slowly and calmly.

"Kage," Kotaro greeted flatly, "I assume you know the location of the other brats?" Kage nodded, bowing his head a bit in response.

"Yes, master. One is moving toward the dining hall, another toward the cells, and two headed near the far exit." He informed. I glared at him, wishing I could blast the stupid shadow to pieces, but I could only clench my fists and wince when Kotaro jerked on my hair.

"I see… Send Gatsuki after the one moving for the dining hall, Kaede after the one toward the cells… I will see to the two heading toward the exit." Kotaro replied. Kage bowed. I scowled.

"And just how are you going to do that when you have me?" I demanded. Kotaro looked down at me, unimpressed, which annoyed the fucking hell outta me.

"I can easily deal with you. Kage," Kotaro looked up, "Be prepared to lead us to toward the first pair."

"Yes, master." Kage replied softly and opened the door. Kotaro jerked me up by my hair, making me yelp.

"OW! You don't have to pull so hard!" I protested, feeling a little tear well up in the corner of my right eye, but Kotaro ignored my protests and pulled me along by the handful of my hair. I gritted my teeth and just barely managed to keep up at his heels, Kage leading the way down the hallway.

"You're dragging this out," I muttered, wincing as Kotaro ripped a few more strands of my hair out, "Either you enjoy being a sick twisted bastard or you take things slow, like an old man."

"I enjoy watching weaker being squirm," Kotaro replied and I could have sworn I saw the faintest hint of a demented smirk hit his face, "They don't deserve to walk the earth without punishment. Such as yourself."

"I'm not weak! If you'd just let go of my hair, maybe I'd show you!"

"If you weren't, then you wouldn't have hesitated the first time we met." Kotaro responded coolly. I flinched, jamming my tooth into my lip, drawing blood. Ugh, he was pissing me off… But there was a reason why I didn't kill him…

"You're scared of me." Kotaro stated, making my eyes flicker and stare at him as we walked down the dim corridor. Wow… That was a quick and pretty flat out guess… And a good one at that. Now matter how much I tried to deny it, I couldn't fight the tightening sensation of fear that made my adrenaline pump rapidly in my veins.

I could only barely keep up as Kotaro kept a vice grip on my hair. I could tell we were moving up behind Sasuke and Karin. The sound of her obnoxious voice cooing and fawning over Sasuke could be heard from miles away. I sweat dropped. Nice going, Karin! You definitely aren't suspicious at all!

NOT!

Just as we took a few more steps, a bolt of lightening lit up the corridor and shot right through Kage, who didn't even flinch and it zoomed right past me, making me gasp.

"SASUKE, YOU ASSHOLE!" I yelled and winced when my hair was jerked on. I looked up as Sasuke stepped into the light of the lantern, Karin no where to be seen. Kotaro seemed to take notice as well, but I spoke up before he could.

"Where the hell is Karin?" I demanded. Sasuke glanced at me flatly.

"I killed her." He replied calmly. I blinked, then glared at him, clenching my fists.

"What?"

"She was in the way," Sasuke muttered, "So I disposed of her… Hopefully Juugo and Suigetsu get into the same kind of trouble." I twitched. After all the _SHIT_ I went through to keep their asses safe! I give up! Never mind! I was so outta here when Kotaro let go of my hair! Forget deals and shit! I was ditching this place as soon as possible!

"Interesting," Kotaro murmured, "Now I don't have to waste my time killing them. I would thank you for getting rid of them, but you're also in the way." Sasuke looked at him as calmly as he could.

"No. I'm giving up." He responded. Kotaro's eyes glowed with suspicion and I could tell he was annoyed by this as he gripped my hair tighter, making me yelp.

"Is that so?" He asked. Sasuke nodded, averting his eyes toward the wall.

"I'm getting nowhere, constantly following wrong directions," He directed a harsh look at me, making me flinch, "I'll leave disposing that worthless trash to you… I'll take my leave." Kotaro frowned for a second, but his expression became placid once again as he jerked me by my hair and threw me on the floor. I winced, my jaw hitting the ground and causing blood to drip from my mouth.

"I would have been rather disappointed if that were true." He replied and swung his hand out at the wall, using his opposite hand to make a hand sign and causing the wall of the hallway to explode into dust. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and Karin was revealed to be hiding behind the wall, yelping as she leapt away from the attack.

"You're good. I had her conceal her chakra too, but you detected her as soon as you saw me." Sasuke commented. Kotaro gave a light shrug, lowering his arms to his sides.

"I'll admit, that perhaps you have some strength, enough to keep me at bay for a short period of time, however, you have a heart and wouldn't kill a defenseless little girl like her… And that's what makes you weak. You're shaming your clan by sparing worthless children like them." He explained, gesturing toward Karin and I. We both glared at him, but it was pretty much pointless. Sasuke's eyes were already burning with Sharingan as he glared harsh daggers at Kotaro.

"Don't talk like you know everything. I spare them because I _need_ them. As soon as I've finished my goal, I'm going to kill them swiftly. And next, I'm going to kill you for opening your big mouth, acting as if you know everything." Sasuke seethed. Kotaro didn't get angry, keeping his calm demeanor as he gave his head a slight tilt.

"And why not kill me now? I have my guard down. I'll even let you throw the first hit." He spread his arms out, exposing his chest. From my spot on the floor, I could clearly see that Kotaro was relaxed and definitely not ready to defend an attack. Sasuke glared at him and seemed to be debating on what to do.

Stupidly, Karin made the first move and swung a kunai out. In a split second, Kotaro's hand moved just a tad and caught the blade of the kunai between his fingers. Karin gasped and I frowned. He was fast. I didn't even see him move. Kotaro dropped the blade, letting it clang on the ground. I glanced up, watching his eyes still locked on Sasuke, as if daring him to move.

I inched my good hand forward to grab the kunai, but I yelped when Kotaro stepped on my hand, smashing it onto the ground.

"Are you going to do something stupid as well?" He asked me, not moving his eyes from Sasuke for a second. I huffed.

"I was just taking that to use against Sasuke. He said he was gonna kill me after he was done with all this, so I might as well have a weapon on me to defend myself…" I muttered, although, I was thinking of slamming the kunai right into Kotaro's foot, pinning him to the floor.

"Hmm…" Kotaro shifted his foot off my hand and I snatched the kunai, shoving it into my kunai holster and glancing at Sasuke, who hadn't moved his eyes away from Kotaro's at all. It was like they were having a staring contest, daring each other to move. I frowned, glancing at Karin, who was shifting from foot to foot nervously. Kage stayed deathly silent, awaiting orders. He was just like a dog. If Kotaro said fetch, the shadow would fetch. Heal, Kage would slow down. Roll over, the ass would roll over a hundred times until Kotaro ordered him to stop.

It annoyed me. I gritted my teeth, studying Kage's expression. He seemed to be pretty blank right now. He always stayed by Kotaro's side. The only times I didn't see him near Kotaro were the time in the shop back in the Land of Snow and when he was sent to kidnap Roku…

I frowned, then winced when Kage's eyes locked on mine. I looked away immediately and as soon as I did, an idea hit me. I looked back at Kage, using my free hand behind my back and making a hand sign. Kage blinked and he suddenly looked ill as if he were going to fall over and I immediately knew my plan was working.

Kage shifted slightly and Kotaro frowned, but didn't break his gaze, however, an annoyed expression seem to cross his face.

"Worthless brat." He said and looked down at me. Everything moved fast now. Kage's body seemed to dissipate into a cloud of smoke and it thickened the air, mostly around Kotaro, who moved back to avoid a bolt of lightening from Sasuke. I shot to my feet and ducked an attack from both sides. I darted into the room with Karin, gasping.

"Come on," I ordered, "Let's get out of here to avoid these idiots!" Karin just nodded quickly. Kage's cloud form was becoming enough to make both Sasuke and Kotaro cough. I covered my mouth and inched toward the space between the blown up wall and Kotaro. He swung his hand around and easily smacked me, however. I gasped and hit the wall and fell on the floor, spitting blood from my mouth. Kotaro went to attack me, but had to block an attack from Sasuke. I winced, glancing up and seeing the scroll in Kotaro's pouch. My eyes widened and I shot my hand out quickly, snatching the pouch altogether and bolting down the hall with Karin shrieking after me.

A bolt of lightening shot past me, making me yelp and dodge to the side before we kept running into the show room with the fountain. Juugo and Suigetsu were already waiting, giving us surprised looks.

"MOVE!" I yelled.

"What about Sasuke?" Suigetsu demanded.

"He's comin'! Just move or you'll get crushed under the roof of this place!" I shouted and shot up through the hole in the room. Karin and the others shot after me. I found myself stumbling onto the side of a cliff. I didn't waste a single second, getting away from the hole and throwing open the scroll. I scanned it quickly.

"What're you doing?" Karin asked, leaning over my shoulder as I made a hand sign.

"I'm making a copy of this scroll, so I can give the real one back to Kotaro and we can make a run for it. There's no way we can fight a man who's got control of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rice." I explained and sighed with relief as the jutsu worked, a new scroll popping up beside the old one. I scanned it to be sure all the information was the same before rolling them back up.

"Just what…?" Karin's voice trailed and we looked up as a familiar person flipped onto the edge of the hole. Sasuke, badly beaten and burnt from the looks of it, came walking over, wincing as behind him, the structure built into the side of the hills exploded. The air filled with a powerful crackle of electricity, knocking us all off our feet. The earth rumbled before it became calm. We got to our feet and peered down to see a crater etched into the earth's surface as well as the remains of the ruined building. I frowned and swung the scroll over the edge.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Sasuke demanded. I shoved the copy of the scroll at him with my good hand.

"Take that. It's an exact copy of the scroll. Hopefully Kotaro will find the one I threw down there and leave. This scroll should have all the information…. On Akatsuki's whereabouts." I added. Sasuke stared at me, then ripped open the scroll, scanning it over.

He looked pretty damned pleased, but then it hit me. My eyes widened slightly. This meant I had given Sasuke his goal on a silver platter… I was fucking free! I smiled a little to myself, relieved that I could run home now. But it was short lived as I remembered…

I'm not completely finished. Sure, I finished Sasuke's goal, but I hadn't finished mine. I had to follow Sasuke to Akatsuki's base and make sure he didn't kill anyone… Ugh, and on top of that, I had to stay alive, like I promised my brothers and friends.

"Perfect," Sasuke murmured, more to himself than us, "Then this will lead me exactly to their current location…"

"Exactly." I replied.

"But, why would Kotaro want to know about Akatsuki?" Suigetsu demanded, annoyed. I rolled my eyes.

"They're a criminal organization. Why wouldn't he want to know they're movements? As small as they seem, Akatsuki is actually a much larger organization made up of smaller groups, such as weapons providers and information brokers. If Kotaro could suck Akatsuki into his army, he'd probably be just as powerful as a kage. In doing so, he'd be strong enough to call out a full scale war and probably succeed in winning." I explained, folding my arms over my chest. Suigetsu blinked and scratched the side of his head thoughtfully.

Sasuke glanced up at me, then shut the scroll and stuck it inside his shirt.

"Well then… I have all the information I want. Your services are no longer needed." He stated, making my eyes flash.

"But, Sasuke…!" Karin protested. I should've expected the next part, but I guessed I was too sucked into what I had said about Akatsuki and Kotaro. Sasuke swung his fist around and slammed it into my gut, making me gasp and fly backwards. My feet left the ground and I felt myself sailing down, down, down…

"FUCK YOU!" I managed to yell back at him before my body flew down and splashed into the water below. I felt like someone had slapped the air right out of me, making me choke and gasp in the water. I winced, floating through a flurry of bubbles. I was tempted to keep going downwards, but something dark moved through the water, making my eyes widen.

I shifted and swam for the surface, gasping for air as I surfaced. I flailed my arm and legs a little, being a pretty shitty ass swimmer with two arms, let alone one. I managed to pull myself onto the water, using my chakra to stay leveled. I frowned, then twitched when a huge shadow seemed to cloak the large pond in darkness. I turned around just as a huge eel-like fish rose up out of the water, blocking the afternoon sun. It opened its jaws to expose rows and rows and ROWS of large, razor sharp teeth. I flinched.

"Oh great." I managed. The thing roared and slammed its jaws at me. I managed to roll out of the way, skidding across the water's surface before I lost my balance and fell through the water. The creature flipped forward, swimming down into the pond, which seriously looked more like a big trench in the earth. It whirled around in the water, coming at me again. I grimaced and swam for the surface, pushing off it just in time to avoid its huge steel jaws snapping shut.

It shot from the water and I took my chance to grab onto one of the long threads that hung from beside its eyeball. I winced as it jerked me through the air, making me gasp. My other arm was completely useless and I had a feeling my other arm was about to be shot as well. The thing flung its head forward and I lost my grip. Next thing I knew, I was crashing through the trees, AWAY from the pond and the huge eel thing, thank the gods.

However, my landing wasn't all that great. I hit the ground, having knocked down several branches on my way down. I didn't move, sitting there on top of busted branches. My body ached terribly and I felt like passing out, my ears ringing from the creature's roar.

I took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in my ribcage. It shocked me that none of them were broken as I rose to my feet. I wobbled a bit, then reached down with my good arm, which was just flat out sore now. I tore a bit of fishnet off my pant leg, making the right shorter than the left. I gripped my dislocated shoulder and bit into my lip, shoving it back into place and yelping. I used the fishnet to make a temporary sling. I sighed, glancing around and brushing my hair of out of my face. Oh, gods, that was annoying.

I pulled my headband off and tied it the best I could with one hand to keep some of my hair back. I closed my eyes tightly. Okay, I have to think of something… That's when I saw it, well, in my head, of course. The scroll appeared in my head, the location of the next Akatsuki location on the list.

It was a cove etched into the side of a cliff off the shore in a village that used to go by the name of Uzushiogakure… If I could get there before Kotaro and Sasuke, hopefully I can provide some kind of assistance.

I opened my eyes and sighed. This was going to be a long walk. I shot off through the trees, heading around the pond to get back on the right path. Uzushiogakure was an island just off the coast of the mainland, the Land of Fire to be exact. I winced as little. Ugh, the thought of going across the water again made me uneasy. I hated boats… Boats sink and when boats sink, they usually carry their passengers with it. I shuddered, but kept moving toward the shoreline. Hopefully they still had the rides over to the island. It hadn't got much attention after its government fell in the last shinobi war.

I hopped onto tree branches to move faster. I also hoped there was a village from here to there… I needed some serious pain killers. I sighed tiredly and kept moving on. My legs felt wobbly and my ankles were throbbing. My shoulder was pounding with my pain and my back was just flat out sore.

I stopped, however, when I heard some voices and I immediately ducked behind a tree trunk, holding my breath and going still. I dared to peek around and I immediately froze.

"I can't believe it's gone," Gatsuki muttered, "And after having killed, what? Thirty people to have it built? A waste of time…"

"Quit complaining, kya. If there's anyone to blame, it's Kage!" Kaede huffed. Kage was looking pretty depressed right now, not making a single comment. I noticed that his feet were practically wisps of black, sweeping across the ground. At the head of their group was Kotaro, holding the scroll I had thrown back over the cliff. I wanted to sigh with relief, but I didn't dare breath. I was not putting up with him again. This guy was the pinnacle of deadly.

"Shut up," Kotaro ordered, making both Gatsuki and Kaede jump, "We're not pointing fingers. We have to arrive at Uzushiogakure quickly. A copy of the scroll was made."

"Huh?" Kaede's jaw dropped. Gatsuki frowned and Kage averted his eyes.

"That brat made a copy of the scroll, probably giving it to Sasuke. He's bound to be heading in that direction right now. As we've had enough mistakes already," He paused and Kage flinched (A new emotion!), "I won't have this mission delayed. Kage, scout ahead."

"Uh, yes, master…" Kage went to move forward, but Kotaro stopped him to glance at him.

"Don't stutter. Obey." For some reason, I got the faintest feeling that Kotaro didn't care about Kage's mistake back at the manor. It seemed it was a big bad guy's way of saying 'don't worry about it, just act like it never happened'. Kage looked at Kotaro for a moment before nodding and practically becoming a quick swirl of black smoke and vanishing into the shadows.

"Aww," Kaede whined, "Did you see the look on Kage's face, kyaaa? He looked sad… That's a first!" Gatsuki rolled his eyes.

"He's losing my respect. He should keep that same emotionless pattern of his. He just cares too much about what you think, Kotaro-sama." He pointed out. Kotaro glanced toward the shadows, his eyes narrowing a bit and his expression thoughtful before he kept walking. Kaede and Gatsuki shared curious looks before running after Kotaro. As soon as they seemed out of earshot, I managed to take a step back, but I kept my guard look, glancing around quickly.

If he came up behind me, I swear, I would have a freaking heart attack!

I slid backwards, then shot through the trees, careful to keep a considerable distance from Kotaro and his group as they moved on. I also prayed I didn't run into Sasuke. He probably thought I was dead and if I wasn't, he'd have fun trying to kill me.

**Later…**

I stumbled to a stop, greatly when I saw a sign that read of a village a mile up ahead. I shot toward it. I easily got in as there were no guards. It was just a simple little rest stop village with shops and whatnot. It sat right near the shore too, which was pretty convenient. I stopped, however, as realization hit me.

Shit, Sasuke had all the money. I smacked my forehead. Just my luck!

I walked to the shoreline, staring across the water and seeing the island faintly in the distance. I frowned and watched fish dart around in the water. I waited for a moment, my eyes following the palm-sized silver fish that swam about, completely unaware of me standing there. I paused a little bit more, then shot my good hand out and grabbed a squirming little fish.

Oh, that hurt. That thing had teeth! It bit right into my hand, making me wince, but in return, I bit into its side as hard as I could and ripped free some colorful flesh. I ate it calmly, taking a deep breath afterwards to look out at the ocean. I sighed.

I guess since there were no boats nearby, this meant I had to make a run for it across the water. I glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention. They seemed more focus on some commotion going on in town. I blinked and dropped the fish.

Commotion… Shit. Someone had caught up with me. Whether Kotaro or Sasuke, I did NOT want to find out.

I shot forward without a second thought, my boots splashing up water before I used my chakra to stay on the surface. I'd probably run out of chakra by the time I reached the island, but it was worth it. I could just rest a little.

I kept running, ignoring the loud explosions behind me. It made me wince. I should go back and try and help… But there was no point in it… I skidded to a stop, glancing behind me. I saw some flames at the front gates, smoke curling into the air. My eyes followed it up before I looked back down at the water. I saw a group of jellyfish flutter along by just below the surface, their purplish blue shapes floating along. A school of orange fish swam by afterwards. I looked up and made a hand sign with my hand.

This was gonna use up a lot of my chakra.

"Water Style. Dark Abyss." I murmured and released a heavy amount of black fog that sailed over the water, spreading out toward the village. I whipped around and kept running, trying not to slam my feet down to hard to avoid making loud noises. If whoever was ruining the village behind me took the same method I was using, they'd be able to hear me moving. I had trouble jumping over the waves that had begun to curl around, pushing the black fog closer to the mainland.

The island was getting closer, though. I could tell by the way the waves were shifting and churning under my feet. I sped up, getting a little nervous and annoyed at the same time. I leapt over a few waves and I saw the shoreline. I sighed with relief and went to move closer, but suddenly, the water bubbled. I blinked and looked down. I gasped and leapt back just in time to avoid a shark leaping from the water, snapping its iron jaws before it fell back into the water, swimming downwards a little.

I panted, covering my heart with my hand and feeling it pound wildly. Good gods, that thing was huge! A great white no doubt. Ugh, those things were so creepy! I shivered and hopped over the spot and bolted faster, my feet touching the shoreline at long last.

I sighed and wanted to fall over and rest, but I knew I couldn't. The Akatsuki base had to be somewhere alone the shore somewhere. I started heading down the shore, my boots sinking a little in the sand. I heard weird noises coming from the trees that surrounded the area, a wolf howl and a weird growling were all I could make out other than the occasional shriek of a bird.

I scanned the side and up ahead, but I didn't really see any cliffs. I frowned and took to the trees, hopping on branches and searching for a cliff that was supposedly hanging over the side of the water. I kept moving until I spotted a pair of old rickety gates, partially scorched from flames and moldy. I grimaced and walked past them, seeing as the walls beside it were collapsed. Inside, it seemed to be the ruins of Uzushiogakure… Or, well, some of it. Most of the village was pounded into the ground as a crater.

The only bits remaining other than the gates were small bits of wood and stone. It was kind of sad, really. I'd heard good things about the village, that most of their clan members lived forever.

Lucky them.

Then again, they were almost wiped off the face of the planet. I wondered for a split second what Kaede would think when she walked through here. I walked over the ruins a bit, maybe hoping for something to show up there, but it just looked like a flatten village. Like someone threw a huge bomb on it and ground it into dust, save for small pieces of homes… Or maybe part of the wall? Didn't matter anymore.

I heard growling again and jumped, glancing over my shoulder to see a small pack of wolves moving out of the woods. I frowned and jumped up into the trees to avoid getting seen. They probably weren't used to humans anymore and there was no way I could keep wolves back with one arm and hardly enough chakra for a good jutsu.

That, and for some reason, it just wouldn't feel right attacking wolves… It made me smile as I remembered my dad making jokes about being related to the dog family, wolves included.

"_I wonder if your mother's side of the family evolved from dogs… You guys pretty much eat anything! At least it's easy to feed you guys. Maybe when we get more money, I'll buy you guys a dog! Then you'll have a new sibling!"_

I laughed a little inside before I shot off through the trees. The only sounds around me now were my boots hitting the branches and the leaves rustling with my movements. I was about ready to give up. Maybe the scroll was old news… Or they made it to steer people away from where they were really meeting?

No, I was wrong. I came to a stop on the other end of the small island at long last, finding what I was looking for. A nice etched in dent in the side of a cliff that hung out over the ocean. At the top of the cliff was, oddly enough, an archway built with sharpened tips and large bells dangling from it with thick purple ribbons with red swirls on them. I looked down at the cave and started toward it.

It was different from the other Akatsuki bases I had seen. This one had absolutely no statue at all. Instead, it had somewhat of a cat walk from one end to the other, broken in half at the center. I kept my eyes darting up to the ceiling. I don't know if it was necessarily Kotaro's fault that I was weary about caves or what, but those spiders have given me a heart attack.

I've heard of albino rabbits, but not albino spiders!

I walked a little bit further, glancing around with a frown. Had I missed them? Shit, if Sasuke showed up here and no one was here, he'd go right after me and slaughter me. Kotaro would probably do the same. I sweat dropped.

Maybe I should stop telling people I know stuff when I really don't…

I sighed and started to walk further, but someone reached out and grabbed me, making me yelp. I was slammed into a wall and I started to yell angrily, but a hand clamped over my mouth tightly. I glared, but stopped, my eyes widening as the hand moved away.

"Itachi…" My voice drifted. Itachi looked at me, lowering his hand to his side. He had a bit of an annoyed frown on his face, which I was pretty much used to seeing on Sasuke's face. Ugh, don't frown, Itachi. You remind me so much of Sasuke that it scares me.

"What're you doing here?" He asked calmly, studying me. I probably looked terrible. My arm in a sling all banged up, my hair loose and probably a little tangled with my headband barely holding it back and I was probably as cut up as sushi.

"Uh… I came to see the sights?" I tried, but Itachi gave me a doubtful stare with a raised eyebrow. I sighed, rubbing the side of my head a little, trying not to wince. Itachi paused for a moment.

"Let's get you cleaned up… Come." He headed toward a small opening near the catwalk and I obediently followed. The hallways were narrow and jagged, having been naturally made. I grimaced, trying to avoid getting stabbed with bits of rock. Itachi led me into a manmade room, telling me to take a seat on the floor. He was getting something out of a bag nearby.

"Uh, hey," I said, smiling a little, "Thanks for not killing me. I seriously thought you were going to tear me to pieces." Itachi glanced at me.

"As it may not seem, I'm really not into it." He answered. I blinked and tilted my head.

"Oh?" I asked. Itachi simply nodded and took the fishnet off my arm, wrapping it with bandages he'd dug from the pack. He didn't it slowly and gently, murmuring apologizes if I winced.

"You have to leave after I'm finished," Itachi told me, "Hanging around here is probably going to get you killed and I don't want this to be a waste." I frowned, then blinked.

"Ah, wait! Who's the person who leads you? I heard it was Pein, from Awegakure, but someone else said it was a guy named Madara. I thought Madara was dead." I explained quickly. Itachi blinked, giving me a 'you're nosy, aren't you?' look. I was used to that look, so I just stared back at him expectantly. He waited a moment before sighing and shaking his head, leaning away from me to wrap up the bandages.

"Don't dig too deep into this situation… I know you said you want to prevent deaths, but sometimes things like that must happen for the drama to subside."

"You're crazy," I protested, "Sasuke's going to come here and freaking kill you, then move on to the rest of the whole damn world and Kotaro pretty much has the same goal in mind, except he's skipping straight to the 'world domination' plan! The least you could do was stay alive just a little longer to prevent this!" Itachi frowned.

"You have an odd way of explaining things," He commented, making me blush lightly, "But I have no control over what Kotaro does… He'll need a much bigger army if he's planning on starting a war… As for Sasuke, he'll be content if he just reaches his goal."

"You think Sasuke's just plotting to kill you and leave it at that? From what I've seen, Sasuke's planning something a lot bigger! I told Naruto I'd bring Sasuke back to the village, yea, but I how am I going to do that when Sasuke has the village's demise in mind?" I demanded. Itachi looked a little uneasy, but it immediately vanished into his emotionless expression.

"How do you know for sure? Has he said anything?" He asked. I shifted a little.

"Well, not specifically, I don't think… But you can't tell by the way he looks when you even mention Konoha! And he really had no problem chucking me over a cliff and almost blowing me up and beating my face into the dirt and a whole bunch of other things I~ really rather not go into." I added in a mutter.

"Maybe you shouldn't test him." Itachi said quietly, averting his eyes. For a second, his expression almost seemed comical! I huffed, folding my arms over my chest, wincing a little at the pain in shoulder.

"Oh, please. His fuse is so damn short, all I did was blink and he'd be angry… He threw a little temper tantrum when he found out I had spoken to you. Almost killed me then and hurt Roku while he was at it." I muttered. Itachi looked concerned for a split second, frowning.

"That's odd… Is Roku all right?"

"He's fine… I gave him to my brothers to take back to the village with him… I promised him a puppy." I added. Itachi seemed to hint a smile.

"I see… Then you should leave. Go back to Konoha. Take care of Roku."

"How can I do that knowing that Kotaro AND Sasuke are both going to try and ruin everything? It's kind of hard to live peacefully with two villains out there, you know." I mumbled. Itachi shifted and I could tell he was uncomfortable with the fact that I had called Sasuke a villain. No, Sasuke wasn't all evil.

Even I could see that. Sasuke did have some emotions left in his black, locked up heart. I could remember Sasuke being pretty concerned that Kotaro had kidnapped Roku. In fact, Sasuke even looked a little guilty after he had knocked the kid off his arm and into a wall… Sasuke was trying to harden himself, though, to make sure he could kill without regrets. He had a problem with children, from what I could say. Made me wish I was little there for a second.

I looked at Itachi, who seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"Itachi," He glanced at me, "Sasuke's coming to kill you and probably the rest of Akatsuki. Then he's going to move onto trying to start a war. If Sasuke succeeds in killing the entire Akatsuki, he'll put a hole in Kotaro's plan of using Akatsuki in his army. Even so, Kotaro isn't going to give up and he'll probably hunt Sasuke down and get rid of him. Then all your efforts would be gone to waste. Sasuke will die and so will Konoha and so will everyone else until Kotaro is up here." I held my hand up in the air. I could tell the fact that Sasuke would die as well as Konoha unnerved him. It got me curious.

"It's better to die for something than to die for nothing. If Sasuke gets here before Kotaro, you need to do something, anything, talk to him and try and hold him off. If you can't, I will do the best I can. Then we'll tell whoever's leading Akatsuki to leave the island as soon as possible to avoid an attack from Kotaro. I know it sounds cowardly to run, but Kotaro isn't someone I really want to encounter again. At least not in the state I'm in right now. I used up all my chakra and I'm only good for babbling like an idiot." I explained before taking a deep breath and looking at Itachi to wait for his reply.

He was thinking about what I said. I could tell by his expression. I had expected him to hold a blank face, but it seemed that the dent in his plan was unnerving him. He glanced at me.

"How did you even know to come here in the first place?" He asked. I blinked, then tapped the side of my head.

"I memorized the directions from a scroll that Kotaro had found inside one of those statues inside a previous base… Who's idea was that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Itachi looked slightly annoyed, but glanced up at the ceiling as if to curse a god.

"Not mine… From the looks of it," He went on, looking back at me, "Destines are being altered, whether for the worse or the best, it's a bit unclear at the moment… Right now, it's probably best we try what you suggested, however, in a bit more civil manner… Unfortunately, I really don't see how I am going to talk Sasuke into not killing me if that took me this long to complete." He gave me a deadpan expression that once again hinted comical. I twitched, smiling weakly.

"Ahaa… Say please?"

"You traveled with Sasuke how long?"

"Don't get sarcastic," I huffed, then folded my arms over my chest, "All right, well… Tell him whatever you think. He's your brother."

"He _was_ your leader."

"Leader," I muttered, getting to my feet, "Right. He's also killed me on several different occasions… There's got to be something. I don't know, try apologizing or something like that."

"I can't apologize for something I was forced to do."

"Huh?" I looked at him. Itachi stared back at me so blankly, it was unbelievable. I frowned.

"Forced? What're you-"

"Ssh," Itachi ordered, glancing toward the opening to the room, "There's someone moving toward the cave." I blinked and looked out the opening, peeking around the corner down the hall before looking back at him.

"Who?" I asked quietly, keeping my voice down. Itachi frowned and moved beside me, glancing down the hall before sighing softly and averting his eyes.

"I was hoping we'd have more time to discuss this… But it seems Sasuke has already arrived." He murmured. I flinched, pressing against the wall and staring at him.

"Are you serious? Oh, that was way to fast! This is so unfair… What're you going to do?" I asked. Itachi looked at me.

"I've got a distract set up out there… But Sasuke's very smart. He won't fall for it for very long, which means I will have to make my appearance shortly… You need to stay on the sidelines to avoid any more damage. Do not jump in to do anything," He added sharply, making me jump a little, "Stay in position and do not move at all. Conceal yourself to the best of your abilities… I'm not the only member of Akatsuki in this base." I blinked and opened my mouth to comment, but Itachi covered my mouth and held a finger to his lips. I tried not to blush.

His hand was warm and soft… For a hardworking criminal too! I mentally smacked myself for that, flinching before he gestured out the door. I nodded and slipped out, heading down the hallway and trying to keep deathly silent. This was going to be bad…

I managed to climb up quietly, listening to muttering voices, probably Sasuke and Itachi's. I peered over to see Sasuke standing just in front of the entrance of the cave… Alone. No sign of his three buddies, which made me frown. Had he killed them on the way or what?

I frowned and kept watching. At first, they were just standing there with Sharingan glowing, so I guessed they were both sucked into a mind battle. I was pretty sucked into just staring at them, which was weird. I could just see Sasuke tensing and at one point, he even flinched so something had to be going on inside his head. Then he jerked and went for his sword, swinging it outwards. Itachi easily side stepped it, glancing at Sasuke, who glared at him, holding his eye as if he thought it was gone.

"Bastard." He spat. I winced and he moved forward, holding a screeching aura of electricity in the palm of his hand. I gasped and for some reason, my legs went to move forward. I didn't get a single step, however, as someone nabbed me from behind, a gloved hand clasping over my mouth tightly.

"Mmph!" I winced and an unfamiliar voice in my ear said:

"You don't follow rules, do you, little one?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I hope this whole thing was pretty dramatic… Except for Ruriko's boring trek toward the cave. -3-; I wanted to just skip that whole part and get to the action, but I decided to just throw in some random stuff… Ah, hopefully the main characters a still somewhat in character. Obviously Itachi is no longer in the manga and I haven't exactly seen him in action -posters don't count oxo!- nor heard him lately… I should probably watch a few more episodes, huh :D? Well! Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	42. Chapter 42

**AAANOTHER UPDATE. O:**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Roku**

**Nero**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**A/N: Ruriko's POV in the beginning~**

****

Chapter Forty-Two: **A New Plan of Action! The 'Bad Man' is Coming!**

"You don't follow the rules, do you, little one?" The unfamiliar voice asked in my ear. It sounded slightly muffled by something and made me twitch as it belonged to someone considerably older than myself or Kotaro. The hand stayed on my mouth and whoever had me was pulling me as far from the ledge as possible. I lost sight of what happened below, however, I heard a loud explosion that shook the cave.

I stumbled a little and managed to twist away and whip around to face the opposite person. I blinked. The man was tall, to me at least, with short black hair and a bright orange swirly mask. He wore a black long sleeved shirt, matching pants and gloves, a dark green scarf falling over his shoulders as he undid it.

"You seem to like digging deep into everyone's business," He mused, his voice hinting that he was smiling, "It's funny. You're making quite a show for me and I thank you for that. It's been so boring watching everyone dance around. It's like a ball, everyone moving according to the music with their partners. I was just waiting for that one person to break the chain and take on a new dance step as well as a new partner. It seems Itachi's taken a fancy to you."

"Don't spew anything at me," I snapped, "Especially if I don't know who you are."

"Really? Take a guess." The man replied, folding his arms over his chest after gesturing his arm out. I frowned, studying him. He was definitely older than me, I could tell by his voice, but from his appearance, he seemed young and fit. I didn't know anyone like that… Or maybe I did?

I tried to think hard, biting into my lip and shutting my eyes. I went through a series of names and faces, but nothing seemed to fit. The man laughed, making me look up.

"I'm shocked. Maybe you need to do a little more digging around… Allow me to introduce myself… As Uchiha Madara." He said, throwing out his arms, taking on a pretty cocky pose in the process. I blinked and stared at him.

Unbelievable! How could he be the real Madara? Rumor said he had died in a battle against the first Hokage… I heard he was still around, but something in the back of my mind told me that it wasn't true.

My curiosity was confirmed as Madara was standing right in front of me.

"How…? Why are you…?"

"Can't come up with any solid questions? You seemed pretty talkative with Itachi." He commented, tucking his arm under his other, touching his knuckles to his chin under his mask. I blinked and clenched my fists.

"You're leader of Akatsuki, yes?" I asked. Madara smirked behind his mask, the sound of it clear.

"Who else would be smart enough to come up with all these plans? Certainly not Pein… He's smart, sure, but not enough."

"Why are you here?" I demanded. Madara sighed behind his mask, tilting his head to look toward the ledge, where an odd clang sound came from the fight below.

"I came to watch… Of course, I listened to your entire conversation with Itachi and it seems I have some troublesome children running about and putting tacks in my foot… I feel like a babysitter and it's starting to irritate me. One kid is enough." He said under his breath, then turned his face toward me, making me jump a little.

One kid? Did he mean Itachi? Or Sasuke? Or something else?

"So you know about Kotaro then? And Sasuke?" I asked. Madara nodded and reached up to adjust his mask, giving me a slight view of the right side of his face, revealing harsh dents in his face, like a scar. But even so, I could tell from that tiny glimpse that he probably hadn't been bad looking at one point in time. Madara laughed a little, as if he had heard my thoughts.

"You're funny, girl. I'm surprised at your popularity… It seems Itachi doesn't mind speaking with you, Sasuke wants to kill you, and Kotaro wants to torture you." He said, making me twitch and sweat drop.

"And you? What do you want from me?" I asked. Madara paused, turning his face back toward the match going on between his cousins before he turned back toward me.

"Not much… Except maybe another pawn."

"Great. Someone else who wants to use me than kill me. Sorry, but I think I'm going to stick to my old plan." I retorted. Madara gave a slight nod before laughing a little again, but this time it was quiet.

"I understand your weariness. If I were you, I would probably refuse as well… If there wasn't so much at stake that is." He added seriously. I frowned.

"Quite frankly, I'm having an issue with thinking you actually care about everyone. From what I've heard, you're just as selfish and disobedient as any other criminal." I responded flatly, putting my fists on my hips. Madara shrugged, gesturing his hands up and out.

"True. Why believe me? Although, I was never officially listed as criminal now, was I?" He asked. I blinked and averted my eyes, folding my arms over my chest tightly, frowning.

"No."

"Exactly. Come now, there's really no such thing as 'criminals' if you think about it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's like separating good guys from bad guys. Everyone's got a little bad in them and a little good… The good guys think the opposite side are the bad guys, the bad guys think the opposite side are the bad guys. So technically, there's no real good or bad. I'm sure you've had some spells where you felt like slaughtering people." Madara explained calmly, flicking his hand at me. I twitched. He was smart and pretty manipulative and that bugged the hell outta me. He went on, however, pretty confident in his argument.

"Everyone seems to have their goals in mind, most of them revolving around power, something that everyone craves, deep down inside. As soon as someone's fed it, they want more and more. It's like a drug… Let me cut to the chase. I have a goal of my own in mind, but due to the detours of the younger generation, I'm going to have to lengthen it out a bit. This'll be very entertaining as there are plenty of criminals out there willing to work with Akatsuki. Kotaro, for example. He wants to make his army strong to start a war and conquer villages."

"So what do the hell do you want me for?" I demanded, taking a careful step away from him. Madara reached up to his mask and easily removed it, using his gloved hand to dust off the inside. I stared at him. I was right about the right side of his face being the scarred, the other half pretty much okay, save for lines dragged out under his eyes from lack of rest. It almost reminded me of Hioshi's, but more pronounced.

"It's simple," Madara said, looking at his mask casually as he brushed at its front, "I figured my explanations would have given it away, but I suppose not. What I want is for you to carry out this nice plan of yours… However, you are to lead Kotaro to Konohagakure. Take the brothers with you, seeing as I can tell there is going to be no death of either of them…"

"What? If I bring Kotaro to Konoha, he's going to kill everyone! He's got a pretty good knowledge of jutsu and torture in case you haven't noticed!" I protested. Madara smiled sweetly at me, but it still had a very bitter look to it.

"Oh, I know. I've seen Kotaro fight, take over villages. He's got some very powerful jutsu… But will that stop the Konoha shinobi? Nooo, they rely on a force they call the will of fire… It burns hotly in each shinobi in that village. They'll fight to defend their pathetic village… As much as I hate complimenting that worthless village, they will easily take down Kotaro's army, leaving him alone. He will fight until his last breath and die. After that, stick around a little bit… Wait until I call on you again for some adventure. Something to make your little heart pound out of control." He drawled, looking pretty damned pleased with his whole plan. I glared at him, clenching my fists.

"If that's your plan, what about Itachi and Sasuke? It's obvious they don't get along. Sasuke won't accept working with the guy who killed his clan for power."

"Oh, you don't know?" Madara asked, raising an eyebrow. I blinked, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

"… Ahh," Madara cooed, "That doesn't surprise me. Konoha's probably keeping it all locked up and safe, to prevent anything from staining its image. Sounds about right, those old hags sitting back and enjoying luxuries while the rest of you work your butts off to keep them safe…" I frowned.

"So-"

"I'll give you a hint," Madara said, putting his mask back on snugly and dropping his arms to his sides slowly, "… Itachi didn't kill the clan for power. A man named Danzo is pretty much as troublesome as the rest of you. Do me a favor and tell Sasuke that Danzo's at fault, won't you?" With that, he vanished. He seemed to be sucked into some kind of vortex right in front of me in a flash, making me leap back in surprise, my eyes flickering wide.

I cannot believe what just happened. I felt like someone had smacked me hard across the face. I grimaced a little, then yelped as the structure I was standing up rumbled as well as the entire cave. I darted out of the way of a falling stalactite before whipping around.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, you asshole! There could be fucking spiders in here!" I yelled. I knew Itachi was going to be mad that I had blown my hiding spot. There were a couple more crashes before I made my way to the ledge. I watched just in time to see Sasuke skid back. His shoulder, right where that odd black mark had been, was bleeding pretty heavily and his shirt had been ripped off. He looked like he was going to pass out, but as soon as he skidded to a halt and saw me, the life came back to him, but not for the better.

"YOU? I thought I killed you!" He yelled angrily, clenching his sword in his fist tightly and tensing up. Oh, yea. He was pissed. I glared at him.

"Yea, I never thanked you for knocking me off that cliff, you asshole! Nor did I thank you for totally trying to kill me several other times!" I shouted at him, my voice echoing off the walls. Sasuke was seething, but he winced and clasped a hand over his shoulder, shaking a little for the usage of all his strength.

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" A voice demanded. I yelped and jerked my head up to find Itachi standing beside me, his cloak pretty much shredded and caked with blood. I noticed a few dribbles down the sides his mouth too.

"Itachi, don't fight anymore! I talked to…!" My voice trailed off and Itachi frowned before moving fast. He grabbed me up around the waist and tore me back just in time to avoid a blast of lightening from Sasuke.

"Will you stay the fuck out of my way?" Sasuke yelled at me, wincing in pain. His voice sounded hoarse as if he was using it too much. Probably, the bastard. I squirmed out of Itachi's grip, careful not to hit any of his wounds.

"Wait, wait! WAIT! Don't do anything yet!" I tried, but Sasuke just spat blood out in my direction.

"Shut up! I've waited way too long to stop now and nothing you say is going to make me stop! I'll kill you both! Itachi for being a selfish bastard and YOU for being so goddamn annoying!" Sasuke yelled angrily. I twitched and scowled at him.

"Oh shut up, you hypocrite! Who's the one always talking 'me-me-me'? You're so contradictory it's not even funny! You don't even know the full story, just what HE told you!" I snapped, throwing a thumb at Itachi, who stared at me, showing the first sign of true shock I had ever seen on his face.

"Ruriko-"

"I talked to Madara," I told him quickly, "He was here just a couple minutes ago and he just- I don't know how to explain. All I can say is he gave me a few hints as to what happened with you and your clan. He wants me to take you and Sasuke back to Konoha, lead Kotaro there, and cause like this huge mess-"

"You actually listened to him?" Itachi demanded. I grimaced.

"He made a few good points…"

"That's just what he does, Ruriko… Madara is manipulative and cruel. There's no way he's telling you something that'll have good results."

"But it makes sense! We can get rid of Kotaro by tricking him to Konoha. Kotaro's definitely got something against Sasuke and I. He'll gladly torture us, but he has to get his hands on us first. Besides, it's just what he wants anyway! He wants war and he'll be glad to attack Konohagakure!" I explained.

"Ruriko-"

"For fuck's sake, will you quit babbling?" Sasuke barked at me and started up another jutsu. Itachi grabbed my arm and whipped me out of the way and smacking into him, making him wince a little.

"Itachi…" I started, but he coughed into his hand. Sasuke moved and so did I. I made hand signs as fast as I could, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. The Genjutsu was set and I was completely drained as I fell back. Sasuke collapsed, his jutsu slamming right into the catwalk and causing it to explode. I felt my body shaking as I looked up.

Sasuke seemed to be pretty annoyed by the Genjutsu and frantic to get rid of it. He released it, only to yell in frustration.

"What the hell did you do?" He shouted at me. I managed to use a shaky hand to wipe blood from the corner of my mouth.

"The only real Genjutsu I'm good at… My brother taught me. The one that killed my parents and the one that I still love. Akira. The jutsu is meant to distract you, at first… And the side effect is blindness, however, it's only temporary, so don't have a fit about it… You just have to sit still for a little bit and listen to the big people talk." I explained, mentally cursing myself as my voice was shaking too. Itachi frowned and got on his hunches beside me.

"I don't know what you're planning-" He started, but I managed to bring my hand up in his face.

"Ssh, ssh, please… Not so loud…" Even though I knew he wasn't that loud, but my ears were ringing and sore. Itachi averted his eyes for a moment, glancing at Sasuke, who was cursing loudly at me.

"Ruriko, you're disrupting everything, you-"

"I'm doing what Madara said," I managed past the ringing as I covered my ear with a hand, "From what he's said, it's going to be better this way…"

"If people of the village die?" Itachi asked quietly. I frowned.

"Madara said Konohagakure was a strong and confident village. A pretty good display of that is shown in the friends I have made there as well as you and Sasuke… Although, I think Sasuke's confidence is a _little_ too high for my tastes." I added with a huff, looking at Sasuke, who was pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes.

"Sasuke," I called, making him jerk his head up and spit at me, "Shut up over there! We're going to sit down and discuss this like adults, unless you want to be tied up and left for Kotaro to pick the meat off your bones!" Sasuke scowled at me, but he didn't move anymore, sitting still on his knees. I looked at Itachi, who sighed quietly before coughing harshly into his hand.

"Itachi! Hey, are you all right?" I asked worriedly. Itachi nodded a little, covering his mouth as well as bit of the pink in his face.

"I'm fine… Let's just get down from here…" He murmured. I nodded and forced myself on my feet, trying not to fall over. I felt like a heavy weight was holding me down and I really just wanted to sleep for a while, but I knew that was impossible. Itachi and I hopped off the catwalk that was mostly destroyed, except for the part we had been balancing on.

Itachi kept a considerable distance from Sasuke, who did the same in return, although, he was still blinded from the Genjutsu. I sat between them, folding my legs and leaning back on my hands, glancing between them, then straight ahead.

"Jeez, talk about bad bonding," I muttered, "The least you guys could do was say hi." Itachi just sighed, putting a hand to his head. Sasuke scowled and said nothing. I rolled my eyes and looked at the ground, resting my hands on my knees.

"What happened to the others?" I asked Sasuke. Itachi looked at Sasuke as well. Sasuke frowned, tilting his head to the side and letting his blind eyes wander aimlessly.

"I left them behind… They're bait for Kotaro."

"You jerk!" I accused. Sasuke scowled in my direction.

"Oh, shut up. They'll probably abandon their posts anyway… Karin made a fuss about me shoving you off that cliff…"

"Remind me to thank her."

"Remind me to smack her."

"Shut up, asstard." I muttered. Sasuke glared at me the best he could, missing me by a centimeter. Itachi just sighed quietly and looked down at the cave floor silently. I frowned, glancing between them before rising to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke demanded first. I raised an eyebrow at him, even if he couldn't see me, putting my hands on my hips.

"What do you think? It's obvious that I won't get anywhere sitting here with you guys… Maybe you'll both converse if I leave. I'm nosy, but if you guys want to sort out your family business, go right on ahead." I replied and headed out of the cave, the only sound was my boots sifting through the sand. I stood out on the shore, averting my eyes away from the cave. Hopefully they talked, not screamed or killed.

I sighed and stepped into the water, watching the fish. Might as well eat while I'm out here. I bent down, watching the fish scatter frantically at my shadow. I dunked my hand under the water, catching a fish by its tail and lifting it out of the water. It squirmed and wriggled. If it had been a mouse, it'd probably be shrieking. I bit into it, watching the other fish swim away in a panic. Ugh, I just hoped that Kotaro was far behind us or at least still on the mainland. If he had made it to the island, he could easily use whatever jutsu he had used to destroy his hideout to destroy the entire island. I bit into the fish again, but a weird sound reached my ears. It sounded like… Bells?

I looked up at the top of the cliff, just over the cave to see the little memorial structure standing all by itself, the bells jingling gently. I frowned. Weird. I looked back down at the fish, finishing it off before tossing it back into the water. I stood up and walked down the shoreline, away from the jingling bells, which began to fade as I walked on.

The water hardly made a sound, just shifting gently onto the sand before pulling back. I hoped the guys were actually talking and not just staring at nothing until Sasuke could see to fight again… I kept walking until I heard a weird noise. I stopped and glanced up, listening to the trees rustle and water murmur. There was a weird sound coming from the trees, though. Like… Shoes hitting tree branches.

I flinched and whipped back around, bolting back down the shoreline. Looks like the bonding time had to end. I winced at the ach in my legs, but I kept moving. If that was Kotaro, they were going to catch up and fast. Not to mention, Kotaro probably already sent Kage up ahead to check if we were there.

I wanted to stop when realization hit me. That's right… My shadow in the water. My shadow wouldn't have been that long. I cursed and picked up the pace, my boots kicking up sand as I made it to the cave, breathing hard. I heard Sasuke's voice snapping angrily, but I had to burst in, making Sasuke jump and Itachi look up.

"Hey," I greeted quickly, "I'd really love you guys to keep talking and catch up on old times, but we, like, really have to go. Like, NOW."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke demanded, annoyed. From his glare, he had regained some of his sight back and was standing on his feet. I took a step away from him a bit uneasily.

"Kotaro's here." I stated. Sasuke blinked.

"How the hell did he know where to go?" He asked. I sweat dropped and averted my eyes, twiddling my fingers.

"Oh, hell if I know. Definitely had nothing to do with me." I added, waving my hand out, making Sasuke glare.

"You stupid-"

"This isn't time for pointing fingers," Itachi cut in with a frown, "We need to get moving… If you've met up with Madara, that means he's alerted the rest of Akatsuki to steer clear of the area… I guess we really don't have a choice, but to follow what he said."

"Great! Now, does anyone have a piece of paper and pencil by any chance?" I asked. Sasuke scowled.

"We're shinobi, not teachers."

"Well, excuse me!"

"Here." Itachi took out a torn tag from his weapons pouch and a small pencil. I smirked at Sasuke, sticking out my tongue and making him roll his eyes in aggravation. I took a kunai from my holster and slammed it into the paper after writing on it, keeping it stuck to the side of the opening, right where Kotaro could see it. Sasuke glanced at it, then smacked his forehead. Itachi sighed.

"If I had known you were going to antagonize him…"

"The mission is to lure him to Konohagakure where he'll arrive with an army, then what better way than to make fun of him and claim that I ruined his plan to meet Akatsuki?" I asked, shrugging.

"I see why he wants to kill you." Sasuke muttered. I huffed.

"If Kotaro's headed this way, we should probably go now. And fast." Itachi advised, glancing outside the cave.

"Good point."

"Come on, there's a back way out of here." Itachi said and led us toward the back of the cave. We moved fast, but quietly so that our shoes didn't even make a sound. We ended up slipping through some wet tunnels that were almost half submerged in water before we made it to the other side onto the shoreline.

"Hopefully one of you know the way to Konohagakure from here because I don't." I muttered, earning a glare from Sasuke.

"It's fine. I know the way." Itachi replied. I nodded and we took off down the shoreline.

"Sooo, how do we know if Kotaro found that note?" I asked as we stepped onto the water to head across to the mainland. Itachi frowned and Sasuke opened his mouth, probably to spew some insults when behind us there was a crackling sound. I flinched.

"Never mind." I mumbled.

"We'll need to move faster… Which is know is hard for probably all of us." Itachi added under his breath. I averted my eyes and just at that moment, my foot lost its balance and went through the water. I yelped, but Itachi caught my arm and jerked me back up.

"Exactly." He said as if I just proved his point. I sighed and bit into my lip, trying to keep up with them. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Useless."

"You're one to talk, you asshole!" I spat. Sasuke scowled at me, but we kept moving on anyway, touching the sand at the same time before we kept moving. The village that I had gone through before was ruined. Buildings still crackled with flames, blood splattered on the sandy streets and ruined buildings. I grimaced. Itachi kept his eyes off the actual village, watching mostly his feet. Sasuke didn't seem to pay attention as his mind was off on other things. I wondered what Itachi had told him back in the cave, but it really was none of my business what happened with their family, although, the curiosity was killing me.

We shot through the trees at the edge of the village, taking to using the branches to move faster.

"He's practically the leader of any village in the Land of Rivers," I started, "That means he'd have to make a pit stop before coming to Konohagakure, unless he has his army at hand somewhere close by."

"What if Kotaro suspects it's a trap?" Sasuke asked, frowning at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, what's it matter? His little plot to take over everything will eventually lead to Konoha, so why not just follow the trail of bread crumbs? He'll pick off villages on the way too. He's practically at a kage status already." I pointed out.

"This is so aggravating…" Sasuke muttered.

"Could be worse!" I tried, but Sasuke just glared at me, so I shut up.

"I'm just concerned on how Sasuke and I are even going to get into the village." Itachi admitted. I frowned, then winced.

"Shit, that's right. You're both listed as criminals…" I murmured. Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't think they'll be worried about us if they have Kotaro."

"Whoa, is that you admitting someone's stronger than you?"

"Shut up, Ruriko!"

"Ruriko," Itachi said, making me glance at him, still smirking at Sasuke's comment, "You're part of the criminal squad from Sunagakure, right?"

"Yea? They probably just listed me as kidnapped. Why?"

"If you can, try and grab the criminal files that Konoha has. Get rid of our names for the time being."

"For the time being?" Sasuke and I asked in unison. Itachi said nothing, which made me frown. Was he seriously going to go back to the idea of having Sasuke kill him? I thought he'd told Sasuke something that would keep them both alive, not something that'd keep Sasuke docile for 'the time being'! I rolled my eyes, but shot off faster, kicking off the branches.

Boys. Sometimes I wondered if they thought about anything other than death, sex, and training.

Wait, that's right!

"Hey, Itachi, did you know Sasuke and Sa-"

"Shut up, Ruriko." Sasuke snapped. I huffed. Itachi glanced at me, as if waiting for me to continue, but when I tried again, Sasuke told me to shut up.

"Oh, come on. Itachi has the right to know."

"It doesn't matter if he knows or not. Now shut up or I'll shove a kunai down your throat."

"Touchy!"

"You guys bicker too much." Itachi sighed. I shrugged and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I just thought you'd like to know that Sasuke's repopulating your clan." I said quickly and Sasuke glared daggers at me. Itachi blinked and looked at Sasuke, who the other way immediately. They were quiet for a while and I sighed. At least that secret was out! Time for more.

"Her name's Sakura," I started, earning deadly glares from Sasuke, "She's a medical ninja back in Konohagakure. She's the pupil of Lady Tsunade. She's okay… Not a bad girl."

"I see… How old is she?" Itachi asked casually. I grinned.

"Itachi!" Sasuke protested angrily. We ignored him, Itachi looking at me expectantly.

"She's a bit younger than me, about fifteen. She's tall-"

"To you!" Sasuke cut in, making me aim a punch for his face, but he managed to avoid it before I went on.

"She's pretty obedient. She's nice. I think she'd make a nice sister-in-law. She's pretty too."

"Ruriko, stop talking!" Sasuke ordered, but I went on. After all, he wasn't my boss anymore! Ahh, freedom~ How I missed thee~

"She's got nice green eyes and pink hair, which is about to her shoulders. She's thin and smiles a lot…" I mused. Itachi glanced at me, then back up ahead.

"She sounds nice… Are you just telling me all this because it's making Sasuke angry?" He asked, taking a peek at Sasuke, who was yelling curses at me and hinting that he was on the verge of blushing! I shrugged, flashing him a quick smirk.

"A little. I just thought you might want to know."

"Oh, I did… I'm always interested in what happens with Sasuke."

"I'm fucking fifteen!" Sasuke yelled.

"Yea, he's been causing a lot of trouble," I went on, getting rewarded with a tinge of a smirk from Itachi as I ignored Sasuke's angry protests, "I say this whole ordeal is good, maybe it'll beat some sense into him…"

"You're one to talk!" Sasuke barked. I rolled my eyes, but I pretty content that I could keep up the conversation. Staying quiet too long was awkward and unsettling. Although, I was mostly picking on Sasuke, who cares? It's not like he knew who_ I_ liked…

**Konohagakure (THIRD POV)**

"Ecchio, don't flip your noodles everywhere!" Akira protested, smacking the three-year-old's hand with his chopsticks. Ecchio yelped and clasped and over his own, pouting. Akira sighed, then glanced at Roku, who sat beside Ecchio and behaved pretty well.

"At least he's eating," Kasumi pointed out from her spot beside Akira, "He was pretty thin when he came to the hospital. He needs some food."

"I guess, but he doesn't need to eat like a pig." Akira huffed, raising an eyebrow at Ecchio, who slurped up his noodles. Roku smiled a bit and pulled the meat of another skewer, which he stuck in the little holster Akira had gotten for him to put on his left shoulder. It saved him the trouble of stringing them all on the scarf around his waist.

"When is Nero coming from Lady Tsunade's?" Kasumi asked with a sigh, leaning her elbow on the table. Akira shrugged, munching on his food.

"Soon. Then he can take the kids somewhere to play, so we can get a hotel and-"

"Stop right there, you pervert," Kasumi accused, jabbing Akira in the nose with her chopsticks, "I am so not going _anywhere_ alone with you!"

"Aww… I just wanted to take you out on a little date, just the two of us. I promise there'll be no hotel… Unless you change your mind." Akira added with a grin. Kasumi rolled her eyes and looked back at her meal, taking a few bites before glancing at him out the corner of her eye.

"Oh, all right, but just one date! If you screw it up…!" Her voice trailed as Akira took her hand gently, giving her a genuine smile.

"I promise to make it the best night ever for you!" He replied confidently. Kasumi blushed a little, then glanced at Ecchio, who was grinning at them and Roku staring in complete, innocent confusion.

"What're you two looking at?" She demanded, making them jump and twitch.

"Love birds, ugh." A voice muttered. Kasumi jerked her hand away from Akira, who sighed and glanced up with a bit of a pout as Nero approached them, his hands in his pockets.

"What's this about a babysitting job?" He asked. Akira beamed and pointed at Kasumi, who huffed.

"We're going on a date! Have fun babysitting the kids!" He exclaimed, changing the direction of his finger toward Ecchio and Roku before he got to his feet, holding his hand out to Kasumi with a grin. Kasumi sighed and took his hand, yelping a little when Akira whipped her to her feet, keeping his hand clasped with hers before they headed down the street. Nero watched with a flat expression.

"Asshole." He muttered, then blinked and looked at Ecchio and Roku, who both looked back at him expectantly. Nero shifted his eyes a bit thoughtfully, then looked back at them.

"Uh, I don't have any money… But come on anyway." He said. Ecchio and Roku shared looks, then hopped off the bench, following Nero down the street. Roku knew Nero didn't like kids hanging on him and as much as he wanted to hold onto someone, he restrained himself. Ecchio didn't seem to give a crap and tugged on Nero's arm, yelling about how happy he was to have people to hang around him all the time. Nero just rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Kids…" He muttered. Roku glanced up at him and dared to grab Nero's arm. Nero flinched at first, then looked down at him a bit tiredly. Roku looked back up at him and smiled.

"Happy… Roku is happy too." He replied. Nero studied his face for a moment, then looked away.

"Good. Kids are supposed to be happy… And try saying 'I'." He added. Roku tilted his head.

"I?"

"Yes."

"I is happy?"

"… You're happy. Am."

"I am happy?"

"Yes. That's enough for lessons today." Nero mumbled, averting his eyes as if embarrassed. Roku beamed and hugged Nero's arm.

"I am happy! Very!" He added. Nero sighed, tilting his head a little and wincing when Ecchio jerked on his fingers.

"Ugh, my gods, you're going to rip my hand off…" He complained.

"You have strong hands! I wanna have the same ones!"

"Keep jerking on them and you will." Nero muttered, making Roku laugh a little as they walked out on a comfortable grassy hill that looked over a thin blue creak. Ecchio ran down to it first, almost tripping in the process due to his weak feet. Nero collapsed in the grass, huffing as he leaned on his knees, watching Ecchio splash around in the water.

"Be careful, brat, you still have… Oh, never mind." He grumbled. Roku looked down at him and smiled, giving Nero a pat on the head that made him blink in surprise.

"Okay." He said. Nero shrugged in response, watching Ecchio run around. Roku watched, not so much in the mood to get wet. He yawned a bit sleepily, but a weird smell filled his nose, making him blink and touch his hands to his nose. He sniffed the air a little more.

"No more food," Nero told him before wincing when Ecchio threw a rock across the creak, "Don't throw those things, kid! You're gonna get hurt and I will laugh at you!"

"Nuh uh!" Ecchio yelled back stubbornly and threw another rock. Roku ignored them and only stepped back when Nero rose to his feet, looking pretty annoyed at being talked back by a kid. Roku sniffed the air, crinkling his nose a little before he blinked and grabbed Nero's arm, making the Jounin jump.

"What?" Nero demanded. Roku pointed his finger frantically toward southeast, whining a little.

"Nee-ro! Chaa… Erm… Uh." He stopped to frown. Nero raised an eyebrow, curiously now as he looked down at Roku.

"Chakra?"

"Yes! Chakra! Ruriiikooo!" Roku beamed. Nero stared at him, then glanced up in the direction of Roku's finger, frowning.

"You smell chakra? Well, I'm not gonna ask how that's possible…" He muttered, averting his eyes. Roku just smiled proudly, but stopped when another scent hit his nose. He frowned, letting go of Nero's arm. Nero gave him an odd look before glancing up with Ecchio yelped in pain.

"What the hell did I just get done telling you? For the love of…" He stomped over to Ecchio, who was whining and holding his foot. Roku frowned and sniffed the air, avoiding sniffing in Ecchio's direction as he had cut open his foot.

Weird smell, Roku recognized. He'd smelled that type of chakra before, but who? It wasn't Sasuke's… Sasuke's was mingled with someone else's chakra and following rather close to Ruriko's. Roku frowned.

The smell was strong and familiar. Roku closed his eyes to think, then yelped when Ecchio almost tackled him from behind.

"Nero's being mean, Roku! He likes you, make him be nice!" He complained. Nero came along and picked Ecchio up by the back of his shirt.

"I'm mean? You snotty little…!" Nero was cut off when Roku whipped around and wailed.

"Na! Na!" He whined. Nero frowned and dropped Ecchio, making him flail and yelp.

"What? What's up?" He asked. Roku was crying now, rubbing the tears away from his eyes desperately.

"Naaa! Bad…!"

"Bad?"

"Bad man," Roku sniffed, rubbing at his eye a bit angrily since the tears kept flowing, "Na happy… Bad with… Sasuke 'n' Ruriko…" Nero frowned, then sighed, taking the sleeve of Roku's shirt to wipe the tears off his face.

"Quit crying… You're too old to be doing that and besides, Ruriko's probably fine…"

"B-But-" Roku stopped when Nero twitched, as if he suddenly got the same bad feeling. Nero frowned and stood up, taking Roku by the hand quickly and grabbing Ecchio, hoisting him up against his chest.

"Come on, we need to get back into town." He told them. Ecchio blinked curiously, squirming a little in Nero's arm to get comfortable.

"What's wrong? Did I make ya that mad?" He asked with a bit of a pout. Nero frowned.

"No. Both of you need to stay with me until I say. Something's not right." He said as they walked back into town. Some people were beginning to file into their homes, as if they had the same odd sensation that was racing up and down Nero's spine, sending goose bumps across his skin.

"Quit squirming," Nero snapped at Ecchio and looked up as Kazuya came toward him, breathing a little hard, "Kazuya-sensei?""Nero-I-… When did _you _have kids?" Kazuya asked, perplexed. Nero twitched, turning a bit pink.

"They're not mine!" He spat. Kazuya sighed, then glanced around at the village before looking back at Nero.

"Lady Tsunade's ordering everyone to get inside their homes… She said she's got this weird feeling. She thinks it might be a freak storm or something… Who knows? But take those kids back where-"

"Can't. Probably wouldn't be safe to leave them alone. Look, I'm taking them to the Hokage's residence with me. I wanna talk to Tsunade about something weird."

"What do you mean?"

"This kid says he can smell chakra… Chakra doesn't have a scent, right?" Nero asked with a frown, tilting his head away from Ecchio, who was squirming to climb over him.

Kazuya blinked and touched a finger to his lip thoughtfully, tilting his head.

"Erm… I don't know?"

"OW!"

"What?"

"The brat jerked on my earring," Nero cursed as Ecchio laughed, "Never mind, take these brats somewhere so I can talk to the Hokage." Kazuya yelped when Nero shoved Ecchio at him along with Roku.

"Nero…!" He tried, but Nero took off down the street a ways before shooting up and taking to the rooftops. Kazuya sighed, then looked down at Roku, who was nibbling his thumb.

"You're the one that can smell the chakra?" He asked. Roku looked up at him and nodded quickly before pointing.

"Ruriko… Sasuke… K-Ko… Ko… Koootah-roo… Kotaro!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I had a little trouble at some point with this chapter, but thankfully I got help with it, so I'm back on my feet. :D I was also in a bad mood, which didn't help, but yea, I'm feeling a whole lot better! The next couple chapters are going to be pretty dramatic and action-ee. Most likely third person too… From what's being planned so far, the end of the Shippuden is not that far away, in fact, maybe another few chapters before it'll end? Please be aware that if you want your OC in Part III, you must send me a new bio again. The time skip is a pretty big gap, I think about 12 years? So, yea! Be thinking! If you want to send the bio in early, I'm fine with that. :) I love reading bios! Well, I think that's all for this author's note. Thanks so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	43. Chapter 43

**UPDATE~! YAY!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fanfiction, except the following:**

**The Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Forty-Three: **Welcome to War, Konohagakure! Battle to the Death!**

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"The village gates are up ahead," Itachi informed, coming to a halt on a tree branch, Ruriko and Sasuke doing the same, "Go inside, inform the Hokage, find the records and change them before running back here. If Kotaro's army reaches the gates within that time, Sasuke and I will go in anyway. I'm sure, as Sasuke mentioned, they'll be more concerned with Kotaro's army attacking than with us."

"All right," Ruriko nodded, clenching her fists and glancing through the trees, "But don't go killing each other while I'm gone or anything. I'll try and be back as soon as possible, but don't count on it being, like, super fast." She kicked off the branch and shot through the trees toward the village. Sasuke watched her before sitting on the edge of the branch, his legs dangling and his elbows on his knees. Itachi glanced down at him, then looked away a bit tiredly.

"So, her name is Sakura?" He asked. Sasuke twitched and scowled at him.

"Will you not bug me about that? … Yea, her name is Sakura."

**Konohagakure**

Ruriko's boots hit the dirt of the path as she descended from the trees, heading toward the village. She glanced up above at the darkening sky before she found herself staring at the gates of Konoha. A brunette Chuunin was standing there beside a black haired Jounin, they seemed to conversing about 'youth' or something along those lines. Ruriko couldn't really focus on _that_ right now.

"Hey!" She yelled, making the Chuunin jump and the Jounin whip around.

"YOU… You look familiar." The Jounin mused, folding his arms over his chest and taking his chin between his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully. Ruriko sweat dropped, then looked at the Chuunin, who sighed, shaking his head.

"Excuse me, my name is Tsukuyomi Ruriko. I'm part of-"

"That's it," The Jounin announced, thumping his chest, "That's who you are! You're part of the Sunagakure Criminal Information Squad! Wow, what a mouthful."

"Guy…" The Chuunin muttered under his breath with a sigh.

"Uh, right, exactly," Ruriko went on, rolling her eyes, "I was sup- I was kidnapped just, like, a month ago or so, but I'm here with really, super important information for the Hokage."

"Hold on," The Chuunin exclaimed, "You're talking so fast, I can't hardly catch up. What kind of important information?"

"The kind that's warning you there's gonna be a huge fight going on here." Ruriko drawled, gesturing her arms out as if to say 'uh, duh'. The Chuunin blinked.

"What?"

"You heard the girl, Iruka," The guy yelled, almost blowing Iruka over on his side, "A battle of sorts! This could put citizens in danger! We need to get her to the Hokage immediately!"

"I think I can hear you without you yelling in my ear." Iruka said with a weak smile before nodding to Ruriko and opening the gates. Iruka and Guy led her at a fast rate toward the Hokage's residence. Most of the people had gone inside their homes, only a few select shinobi standing around and looking for something that was causing the tension in the air.

"Exactly what kind of battle are we talking about?" Iruka decided to ask as they pushed off rooftops. Ruriko shrugged lightly, acting as if it were no big deal.

"Eh… Just a big huge one that'll probably ruin like, half your village maybe?"

"What?" Both Konoha shinobi cried in unison. Ruriko raised an eyebrow for a split second before keeping a sort of annoyed expression.

"That is, unless I can get to your Hokage as soon as possible with the information that I have now. I also have to see your criminal records immediately. If I can read over some old files, I'll be able to figure out what we can do to prevent any large scale attacks." She explained simply.

"Question," Iruka said, "Who's the enemy?" He looked at Ruriko, who smiled a little, but said nothing as they landed at the doors of the Hokage's residence. They ran across the tiles, shoes scuffing and boots clomping all the way up the wooden stairs. Guy was the one that gladly threw the Hokage's door open, almost knocking the poor wooden door off its hinges.

"LADY HOKAGE!" He boomed and stood at attention stiffly, Iruka running in afterwards, trying to catch his breath.

"Jeez, Guy… You're getting faster…" He managed. Ruriko managed to scramble in next, flashing Guy an almost annoyed glare for making them pick up the speed. Across the room, Lady Tsunade sat at her desk with a pucker lipped stare of surprise. Shizune yelped and almost strangled TonTon in shock as she stared at the shinobi entering the room, uninvited and rather rudely in fact.

"Lady Tsunade," Ruriko finally managed to catch her breath, "You probably don't care how the hell I got back here or any of the specifics, but you if care… Holy crap, my legs hurt." She stopped, making Guy smack his forehead and Iruka sweat drop. Tsunade rose to her feet, leaning on her desk and putting her hand on her hip.

"Excuse me, if you have something important to say, skip the complaints."

"You try running away from a mass murderer and his army!" Ruriko snapped back. Tsunade blinked and stared at her, dropping her hand from her hip. Guy and Iruka shared looks and Shizune seemed to stiffen, her eyes widening.

"What did you say?" Tsunade demanded sharply, coming around to the other side of her desk. Ruriko sighed.

"There's a man named Kuromura Kotaro. Don't ask how or why, but he's pretty pissed off about something that I have absolutely nothing to do with and he's coming to Konohagakure… With said army that I mentioned earlier." She explained.

"What? Why the hell is he coming to Konohagakure?" Tsunade demanded.

"Good question," Ruriko said with a shrug, glancing around the room for a moment before looking back, "Look, just get some shinobi up and fast. Konoha is a large village with a large population. You don't want that to get knocked down, do you? I came all this way, almost got myself killed so many times I've lost count, and I've had my fair share of encounters with Kotaro. I'm telling you right now that Kotaro's intent on killing everyone, so do the world a favor and do something already!"

"Kuromura," Tsunade muttered, raking her nails across her desk, "All right… Iruka, alert the Jounin. Guy, the others. Shizune, go the hospital immediately and inform the medical staff. And you…" The Hokage's brown eyes locked on Ruriko, who frowned back at her.

"I have a job for myself," Ruriko replied, "I need to see the criminal records of Kotaro as well as several others. Kotaro has a good amount of S-class criminals accompanying his army. It's best I take a look at them to keep your shinobi updated on exactly who they're fighting."

"… Just how can I trust you with that sort of information?" Tsunade demanded, although, her voice held no suspicion at all. Ruriko folded her arms over her chest.

"Lady Hokage, I came all this way to tell your village that there's a big bad guy coming this way. You'd be doing everyone a favor by letting me see those records. I swear not to do a thing more, but study them and gain information. That's all I do anyway. It's my job to protect the villages from criminals like Kotaro. I've put my life on the line and it's still there. Now show me the files." Tsunade's eyes narrowed a bit, but she walked toward the door, her green jacket billowing. Ruriko sighed and followed after her. Tsunade led her out of the Hokage's residence, only to walk to a small building nearby. Ruriko glanced up and blinked at the cracked symbol on the front of the building.

It was the Uchiha symbol at the center of a star-like structure. She didn't have time to admire it, however, as Tsunade led her inside. It was an old building, but most of the inside had been fixed up; repainted, the floors and walls, ceiling, all replaced with better wood and stone. It was kind of eerie, Ruriko noted as she stepped over a box of papers before Tsunade led her through a corner.

"Sorry about the disorganization… This place was just recently altered when Konoha was informed of Sunagakure's new criminal information squad. We decided to find an area to keep a bigger stock of criminal information. Most of this was gathered by your brother… Hioshi." Tsunade explained quietly, her eyes scanning the building cautiously. Ruriko winced.

_Hioshi… That's right. He's also part of Kotaro's army… Maybe if we really can defeat Kotaro, then I won't have to worry about Hioshi anymore… He'll just give information to the village after that. He won't have to be hassled with Kotaro anymore… At least, I hope not…_ She thought as Tsunade walked into a dark room. Tsunade reached out and flipped on the lights to reveal almost a library of records. Ruriko stared.

"Holy shit…" She managed in awe. Tsunade nodded, looking around the room for a moment before looking at Ruriko.

"Be careful. As nice as the building seems, it's still under construction and if the battle begins while you're inside here, the possibility of the ceiling collapsing is there. Whatever information you gather, inform me of it immediately… Or you'll make me suspicious." She added before she turned and left the room. Ruriko frowned, waited until Tsunade's footsteps vanished before she shut the door and whipped around, running down and aisle.

_Okay, from the looks of it, they're in alphabetical order… So I just need to find Uchiha… And on my way, grab Kotaro's too. Hopefully the village has information on Kaede, Kage, and Gatsuki as well. They're bound to be on their master's heels…_ She thought, glancing at the shelves. She hopped over a few boxes that were still sitting out and wide open. Her lavender eyes over the silver plaques that hung over each shelf before she found the U's. She skidded to a stop and ran her finger over every little box that held a group of files within them. She frowned, skimming before she came to the name she as searching for. She tore the box from its place and fingered through the files, frowning until her eyes landed on one. She pulled out Itachi's file, dropping it on the desk part of the shelves.

She opened the file and scanned through it, frowning. _Well, this is weird… Their file on Itachi is way different from the one Sunagakure has… Our information on him came from an abandoned Akatsuki base on the west coast… Then again, Itachi originated from this village. No wonder why it's different… Oh wow, he's got a lot of information. Even down to the height and weight he was as a baby. Even the time of his birth… I feel like I'm peeking into his life… Ugh, I shouldn't be doing this. I should be trying to erase his name from the criminal records…_ She thought and made a few hand signs, brushing her hand over the file before shutting it.

"Ta-da." She smiled and picked the file back up, shoving it into place before taking out Sasuke's. She held back from trying to delve into what was written and merely placed the same jutsu before taking the box and putting it back into place. There was an eerie silence, Ruriko noticed as she stepped away from the shelf.

Not a sound. No talking, no wind whispering, no bugs creaking, no animals mumbling… The feeling was much too uncomfortable. Ruriko took careful steps down the aisle now, carefully moving over boxes. She got the oddest sensation that someone was following her, but again, there was no sound to prove it. Just her nerves, she figured, stepping over another box before coming to a new aisle with a large K written on a silver plaque.

Ruriko took a step into the aisle when the oddest sound echoed throughout the village, making her wince and stumble over a box, falling to the floor.

"Ow! What the hell?" She demanded and rolled over onto her back, gasping as a crack shot across the ceiling. The sound, the terrible sound of something exploded, came again and the ceiling crackled, causing the lights to flicker and go out. Ruriko cursed and darted out of the way, just as a chunk of the ceiling fell inwards and crashed to pieces where she had been lying earlier. Ruriko frowned as light shown in from outside, but just barely as the clouds overhead began to darken. Ruriko scrambled to her feet and went for the K's, searching quickly now.

"Shit, shit, shit…! Where is it?" She cursed, her eyes darting around before landing on an empty spot just where Kuromura should be. She frowned and the sensation of someone moving behind her made her wince and whip around. At the end of the aisle, closest to the door in the darkest part of the library, Kage was standing with a box in his hand. Ruriko glared at him.

"How the hell did you get in here?" She demanded. Kage studied her closely, gripping the box.

"I followed you. I've been following you since you spotted us exiting Kotaro-sama's previous residence. I saw you peering down at us and I immediately connected myself to your shadow." He explained calmly. Ruriko frowned, clenching her fists tightly in annoyance at not having suspected it earlier.

"So you heard everything then?"

"Of course."

"Then why didn't you tell Kotaro to stay away from Konoha? From the sounds of it, he's already here."

"Whatever," Kage muttered, "It's one step closer to Kotaro-sama's ultimate power. There's no need to warn if he's stronger than the Hokage."

"Or maybe you did it knowing that someone would kill Kotaro?" Ruriko pressed, raising an eyebrow. Kage's eyes flashed and he took the box, throwing it hard against the wall, cracking it and causing the files to go flying across the floor.

"Don't question my loyalty! I live solely for the purpose of serving Kotaro-sama! There's no doubt Kotaro-sama will crush this pathetic excuse for a village, including all the little insects that squander in its filth. You've embarrassed me in front of him and I'm going to kill you for it. You've caused enough hindrances." Kage seethed and his hands moved fast.

Ruriko flinched and dodged to the side, just in time to avoid a harsh whip from a strip of shadow. _Shit, this is his domain. Darkness. There's plenty of places for him to get shadows from in here. I need light… And it doesn't help that the power is out… In this room. I need to get to a different room and lock him in there, but I don't know this place at all!_ She thought with a wince and dodged another harsh whip. She skidded back, making hand signs quickly and thrusting her hand forward. Bolts of lightening burst from her fingers and zigzagged toward Kage, who back flipped and practically splashed into the shadows behind him, his smoky form easily seen skimming up the wall to the ceiling.

Ruriko took her chance and bolted for the door. Kage made a hand sign before flinging his hand forward. The dark shadows separated into thin strips, resembling senbon before they shot down. Ruriko flinched as the thin dark forms zoomed downwards, cutting into her skin. Ruriko managed to duck and roll out into the hallway, knocking the door off its hinges as she scrambled to her feet, bolting down the hallway.

The hall was still somewhat dark as the lights had never been turned on, the only glow coming from outside, but it was slowly fading. A huge blast of hot air slammed into her back, knocking her skidding across the floor, slamming into a pile of boxes. Ruriko gasped and looked at her legs, grimacing. Blood seeped from her skinned shins and knees as she struggled to stay on her feet. Kage came sweeping out of the library, a huge dark mass of shadows creeping and rolling around his legs, sticking to the walls and floor, moving up across the ceiling like black gunk.

"You won't have the honor of watching Kotaro-sama kill everyone… Oh well." Kage swung hand out, without any hand signs, causing the mass of shadows to pull off the walls, ceiling, and floor. They wrapped around his arm quickly, piling outwards at a fast rate before they plunged into a dagger sort of shape. Ruriko grimaced and ducked as the shadows burst over her head, knocking over boxes and crashing into a wall. Ruriko looked up to see the thing reeling backwards, releasing a hissing sound. Sparkles flew off the sharp end, some of it vanishing.

Ruriko blinked, then scrambled to her feet and went for the light switch that sat at the end of the hallway. Kage gritted his teeth, glaring as he sent the same attack forward again, however, Ruriko ducked again and hit the ground just under the light switch. Kage jerked the shadow back, making a hand sign with his free hand. The end of the shadow dissipated before coming back together and grabbing onto Ruriko's leg. Ruriko yelped as the shadow jerked on her, dragging her along the floor. She tried to get up on her other foot, but she was torn back down. She made quick hand signs.

"Please say this works…" She groaned and thrust her hand out at the light switch, a thin stream of electricity bursting from her finger tip and blasting at the light switch. The object sparked and the sparks flew up before the lights in the hallway burst to life brightly. Ruriko gasped when the shadow released her leg and reeled back. She rolled over in time to see Kage yell in pain, clasping his hands up to his face. His feet seemed to shine and glow an odd reddish color. He stumbled back and almost tripped before catching himself and vanishing into the library, the sounds of files and boxes and books being throw all over the place.

Ruriko bolted to her feet and whipped around hurriedly, making a few hand signs and thrusting her hand out at the opening to the library. Lightening exploded forth and crashed into the walls, knocking them toppling over. She whipped around and bolted out of the building quickly, trying not to trip and fall at the pain in her legs. She ran along side the building before coming around a corner and skidding to a stop, her eyes widening.

"No way…" She managed, gripping the corner of the building, wincing.

"Long time no see, Ruriko." Tsukuyomi Daiki greeted with a warm smile.

**Somewhere Else in Konohagakure**

"Nero, watch your back!" Akira yelled, flinging a senbon. Nero ducked, skidding in the dirt as the senbon flew past him and stuck through the head of one of Kotaro's subordinates. Nero popped back up, frowning.

"Thanks for that, Akira. Shouldn't you be with the medical squads?" He asked, unhooking his maul to slam into the ground, sending a deep crack through the dirt. Akira grinned at him, putting his hands on his hips before flinging his hand up to accidentally smack a shinobi upside the jaw.

"Haha, I'm all for fighting- Oops."

"Don't 'oops', stupid! That was the enemy!"

"I know that! Yeesh, no need to yell!" Akira huffed and whipped around, kicking the downed shinobi in the face twice before making a hand sign and bringing his hand back, smacking it hard into the man's neck and causing him to hit the ground. Nero frowned and swung his maul around, slamming its heavy spiked end into two bodies at once, knocking them flying back in a spray of blood.

"Akira," He ordered, "You have to go find Kazuya! Tell him to take Ecchio and Roku to where the rest of the civilians are! Unless you want to face Ruriko's temper if they die!"

"Ah, oh, fine!" Akira huffed and bolted off, killing two shinobi in the process. Nero frowned and blinked, watching a little moth flutter across in front of him. He swung his hand out and grasped it in his fist, clenching tightly.

"Hey, now, that wasn't very nice." A voice stated. Nero whipped around as Gatsuki hopped down from a rooftop, blood staining the front of his clothes, his arm sling gone. The green cloth over his mouth and nose had been ripped off to reveal a rather young looking face underneath, his teeth ranging from sharp to filed down, some chipped.

"Che, I don't have time to chat." Nero drawled, then made a hand sign and brought his hand to his mouth, allowing for a stream of hot flames to burst forth and collide forward, but he winced and reeled back as the flames crashed into a wall of earth, which melted downwards. Gatsuki smirked.

"Too slow." He replied, then swung his hand up in a hand sign, his other hand opened toward the sky. A flurry of black moths poured out, swirling around and becoming a dark cloud as they moved for their victim. Nero swung his hand up, knocking back some moths, the rest leaping in and biting down. Nero gasped and reached up, ripping a handful from his ear and squishing them with his fist. He ignored the others, bringing his maul up and slamming it hard into the ground, causing a gigantic trench to crackle toward Gatsuki, who flipped backwards onto the roof again.

"That's interesting… You can withstand a lot of pain… Means something sad happened to you." Gatsuki mused and made a hand sign, thrusting his hand forward to release a stream of bluish white moths that fluttered forward. Nero blinked and stumbled back a little, wincing as a heavy sleepiness overcame him. He swayed slightly, dropping his weapon and sinking to his knees. Gatsuki smiled and stepped onto the edge of the roof.

"It's so easy to make kids like you fall because of a simple Genjutsu. It's too bad you bored me…" He sighed, shrugging before taking a kunai from his pouch, flinging it forward. Nero's hand shot up and caught it. Gatsuki blinked.

"What the…?" Nero got to his feet slowly, gripping the blade of the kunai and ignoring the blood that seeped past his fingers.

"Idiot," Nero muttered, "What kind of ninja uses physical pain before trying for mental pain? The Genjutsu was a failure as soon as you used those stupid little moths of yours, which by the way are really super annoying." Nero dropped the kunai and made a hand sign, holding a hand upwards over his head and causing a quick curtain of electricity that caused all the little moths to shriek and burst into tiny flames before falling to the ground.

Gatsuki raised an eyebrow, getting on his hunches on the roof, folding his hands in front of him casually.

"Most people would make the Genjutsu work themselves, having such a scary past and falling for it even despite the pain. You've obviously got a hard shell to crack." He replied with a smirk. Nero frowned.

"Oh yea. And you're a jerk." He retorted and went to grab his maul, but winced as pain ripped up his spine and limbs. Gatsuki grinned.

"That's right, I forgot to mention… Those moths were a special type. I've used a similar type called Vampire moths. The ones I just used, the cousins, are called Death moths… They release a good amount of poison into the enemy's blood stream. It causes paralysis… It's really nifty for stubborn teens like yourself." He explained simply as he rose to his feet again. Nero glared up at him, trying to move, but his body wasn't going anywhere.

"You're a fucking coward," He spat, "You couldn't come down here and take a hit, so you stayed up there and made your pets do it. If I don't kill you, someone else will. And I hope they rip those hands of yours off."

"Too late for threats," Gatsuki sang, wagging a finger at him, "Time to die!" He swung his hands out and forward, making single hand sign directed at Nero, a cocky smirk spread across his face. He went to move, but stopped suddenly, wincing. A gasp followed his movements as he tried to move his hands.

"What the hell…?" He demanded angrily, gritting his teeth as orbs of water formed over Gatsuki's feet and hands, keeping them still. Nero frowned, then his eyes widened as a familiar laugh pierced the air joyfully.

"Hahaha! You won't be laying an itsy bitsy finger on Nero, little man!" A voice yelled and the water around Gatsuki's ankles exploded. Gatsuki yelled in agony and fell to his knees, trembling as the bones in his ankles became crushed, blood seeping from the holes in his ankles. Standing behind him, Botan was smiling, cocking his head to the side. He wore a pure white cloak, a hood hiding most of his face.

"No way…" Nero managed. He'd assumed Botan had died after not having seen him in so long. Botan did a little flip and landed on the ground in front of Nero, who flinched, but still found himself unable to move.

"No worries, Nero," Botan grinned at him, giving him a little pat on the head, "Botan promises to take you out of here and fast."

"You?" Gatsuki yelled angrily. Botan blinked and tilted his head sideways to look at Gatsuki with a bit of a pout.

"Oh, don't interrupt Botan! He hasn't seen his Nero in such a long time. And now that he has, he's getting hurt?" He added with a raised an eyebrow. Gatsuki glared at him and tried to release his hands from the orb of water around his hands, but nothing worked. Botan looked back at Nero, grinning again at his shocked expression.

"Ne, what's that look for? I mentioned something about coming back to see you, yes?" He asked, smiling warmly now. Nero blinked at last.

"B-But how…? I thought you were dead!"

"Oh, I almost died… Like several times because of their leader," Botan gestured a thumb in Gatsuki's direction before giving Nero a once over and smirking, "You've gotten taller… And so cute! Yes!" He hugged Nero around the neck, making him yelp.

"Ow! Botan, is this really the time? BOTAN!" Nero winced and rolled his eyes as Botan hugged on him and cooed at him, but his eyes flickered to lock on Gatsuki, who was glaring at them.

"Fine! I don't need to move! Summoning!" Gatsuki gritted his teeth and a glow emitted from the orb of water. Botan smirked and pulled away from Nero, tilting his head a little.

"You requested no hands? I give you no hands." He said and gestured up at Gatsuki, who gasped in shock as the water around his hands exploded. Gatsuki squeezed his eyes shut and screamed in pain, blood spurting through the air as the force of the summoning and the compressed water mixed. He easily fell onto his side, gasping for air and wincing.

Nero stared, then yelped as Botan lifted him up by the waist and over his shoulder, grabbing his maul with his free hand.

"Come, Nero~ I'm sure there are medical ninja around here that can get rid of the poison." He said with a smile. Nero wished he could thrash and move from Botan's grip, but his body still wouldn't move.

"Botan, don't carry me like this! Put me down!"

"Let's go then~!"

"Botan, seriously!"

**Meanwhile…**

"Kakashi! Look out!" Kotori yelled and ducked a kunai that was flying at her face. Kakashi whipped around and slammed his foot into the side of a shinobi's head before ducking a punch to his neck, swinging his leg through the dirt and knocking the shinobi on its backside where Guy slammed his foot into the man's face.

"There's a lot of them and they came so fast…" Kotori managed, breathing hard. Kakashi frowned behind his mask, glancing out the corner of his eye at the flames that had engulfed the Jounin's building.

"Looks like they're pretty intent on destroying this place quickly… We need to hurry." He added and took a quick step back to avoid a shinobi falling from a rooftop at his feet, his eyes lifting to see Naruto hopping off the roof.

"Where are all these guys coming from?" Naruto demanded, whipping around in time to slash a kunai across an enemy's face. Kakashi's Sharingan glowed as he managed to dodge an attack coming from the left, his fist slamming into the enemy's face.

"According to Mayu-sensei, they've broken down a wall over there. She's fighting off in that area with her team as well as a few others." Kakashi informed as he skidded away from another attacking shinobi.

"Damn it," Naruto cursed, swinging his foot around and kicking a shinobi in the jaw before doing a back flip to jump over another enemy, making hand signs to call up a crowd of clones, "They're practically multiplying!" Suddenly, all the clones burst into smoke as kunai sliced through them. Kakashi, Kotori, Guy, and Naruto all whipped around to face the direction of the weapons.

"Kyaaa! This is so much fun, playing with you Konohagakure shinobi, kya!" Kaede laughed excitedly, landing on her hunches on the edge of a rooftop, a cocky grin spread across her face.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto yelled, glaring. Kakashi eyes flashed and looked down at one of the kunai that had landed on the ground at their feet. A tag on the round handle fluttered in the wind, catching flame.

"Paper bomb!" He yelled, shooting back. Kotori skidded back across the dirt, Guy flipping out of the way as Naruto winced. The tag burst into a series of hot flames that screamed toward the sky before dying down in an instant. Kaede smirked, standing up and putting a hand on her hip.

"Good eye, kya! I've always wanted to fight Sharingan! And on such a handsome man, kya!" Kaede giggled. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists as he came to a stop away from the bomb. Kotori and Guy glared at her, body's tense and ready for a battle. Naruto scowled.

"You're fighting, not flirting! There's a difference!" He shouted. Kaede tilted her head to the side, her deep purple eyes glowing in excitement.

"There's no difference for me. Such lovely boys, kya. And the pretty lady… Ohhh, you, I know you… Kuromura Kotori… Master's twin, kya." She teased. Kotori flinched.

"You're kidding me… You're just a kid, what the hell are you doing joining a criminal's army?" She demanded. Kaede blinked and pouted, folding her arms over her chest.

"Hmph! You remind me almost of Gatsuki, kya," She giggled, gesturing her arms out, "Ah, but he's a dummy. Got himself caught… Looks like Kage and I are the only ones left, kya… Let's see how long you Jounin and the brat can stand against me, kyaaa!"

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto barked and rushed forward, whipping out a kunai. Kotori's eyes flashed.

"Naruto! Don't!" The Jounin shouted, but Naruto had already pushed off the ground.

"Shit, it's a trap!" Kotori told Kakashi, who grimaced.

"I know." The silver-haired man managed as Naruto leapt at the smirking criminal, who easily vanished into a swirl of silky smoke as soon as the blade of the kunai swept across her face. Naruto skidded to a stop, glaring.

"What the hell? Where'd she…?" He whipped around as Kaede appeared in the air, flying back in a jump, a cocky smirk on her face.

"Cocky little kid! Haha, what're you called, kyaa?" She asked with a grin, landing behind Kakashi, Kotori, and Guy who all whipped around to face her. Naruto glared.

"Uzumaki Naruto! And remember it as the guy who kicked your ass!" He yelled. Kaede blinked, her arms going limp at her sides and her eyes widening slightly.

"Uzumaki…? So there were more survivors, kyaa…" She murmured thoughtfully, tilting her head. Kakashi gripped the kunai in his fist, shifting his feet across the dirt.

"Weird, huh, seeing one of your own clan." He stated. Kotori blinked and stared at him in disbelief before looking back at Naruto, who went frozen staring with wide eyes. Guy frowned, putting a hand on his hip and gesturing a hand out at Kaede.

"Uzumaki Kaede! She's well known as Kitsune for being a mischievous troublemaker! She's a big fan of jokes and gags, which explains the false attacks." He added, holding up a finger matter-of-factly. Kaede smiled lightly, her eyes closing halfway in amusement as she folded her hands behind her back.

"Uzumaki… Naruto… That's a nice name, kya." She mused. Naruto gritted his teeth and dropped his kunai to clench his fists in front of himself.

"If you're an Uzumaki, why are you doing this…? Why are you attacking Konoha?" He yelled angrily. Kaede shrugged a bit, averting her eyes before flicking them back with a smirk, snapping her fingers up by her face.

"Anything for Kotaro-sama, kyaa~ See you guys in the next life!" She laughed.

"Naruto, get out of the way!" Kotori yelled with a wince, Kakashi whipping around and shot off, slamming into Naruto and knocking him off the roof. They rolled and fell off, just in time for a bomb to go off on the rooftop. Guy and Kotori hit the ground from the impact, flinching as Kaede skidded back, doing a flip and landing on another rooftop.

"Let's play a game, kya! A family game!" She laughed and shot off. Naruto scrambled away from Kakashi after they rolled across the ground.

"Naruto!" Kakashi protested, but Naruto was off and on Kaede's heels. Kotori grimaced as Kakashi helped her to her feet, Guy scrambling after.

"We need to go after them," He stated confidently with a clenched fist, "Naruto may need back up!"

"No," Kakashi muttered, "Let him do this… Naruto has a score to settle with her."

Naruto pushed off rooftops quickly, gritting his teeth as he tried to catch up to the fast moving girl. Kaede laughed, her hair fluttering as she shot up ahead.

"Faster, little Naruto! Faster, kya!" She taunted. Naruto jumped up and made a hand signs, releasing a horrendous amount of clones. Kaede's eyes glowed as she grinned, whipping around, making a hand sign and holding her hands around her mouth as a huge stream of flames shot out, separating and each stream taking out a different clone. They burst into smoke as Naruto skidded onto a rooftop, Kaede landing on another across from him, smirking.

"I've never seen someone use so many clones, kya. This is gonna be fun." She teased. Naruto glared.

"I don't care who you are! No one attacks Konohagakure! No matter who they're working for! I'm not going to kill you," Naruto added with a confident frown, "If you're gonna act like a kid, then I'll treat you like one!" Kaede blinked, then smiled slowly and sinisterly.

"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way, kya. Little Naruto, it's a pleasure to fight you. Show me what ya got, kyaaaa!" She yelled excitedly and back flipped as Naruto thrust a kunai in her direction. Kaede whipped out a round of shuriken, causing Naruto to wince and slid back only to be hit with plastic shuriken. He blinked and gritted his teeth, flinging out a kunai, which was easily dodged, but he slapped his hands together in a hand sign. He summoned another bunch of clones, making Kaede pout.

"What kind of game are you playing now, little cousin? Using clones over and over again, kya?" She asked. Naruto smirked.

"I don't lie to people, so I use purely real attacks!" He shouted and leapt forward with all his clones, which were all jumbled up now. Kaede stared up at the mass of clones, then grinned.

"Kya." She responded and made a hand swing, flinging her foot up and bringing a hot stream of flames up along with it on the tip of her foot. She slammed it into a clone, causing it to burst into smoke before she made another hand sign, jumping into the air and spinning around in a whirlwind of flames and wind. The clones all vanished, Naruto leaping back just in time to avoid the whirlwind that shot straight up into the sky. Kaede burst from the flames, aiming a punch at Naruto's face as she came down. He swung his arm up, blocking before catching Kaede's elbow and jerking her around so he could knee her in the jaw. Kaede flew up, wincing before doing a flip and making a hand sign.

"Wind Style! Death's Play!" She laughed and swung her feet forward to release a hot flash of wind, causing Naruto to flip, but skid across the rooftop and slam into a water tower, releasing a blast of the water. Naruto flinched as the water poured over, but an idea hit him. He smirked and stuck his tongue out past the water at Kaede.

"Is that all you got? So much for Kotaro's loyal subordinate!" He mocked. Kaede's purple eyes flashed, her fists clenching.

"Shut up, kya! My gods, you have a big mouth!" She yelled angrily and made a hand sign, causing a wall of flames to shoot forward. Naruto smirked and didn't move as the flames hit the wall over water that was spread out over him, he only made a hand sign to summon a single clone. Kaede squinted in an attempt to see past the hot flames, steam, and water before her eyes flickered. Naruto shot from the wall of water, holding a blue whipping orb in his palm. Kaede reeled back and quickly made hand signs, releasing a blast of air, knocking right into Naruto, who vanished in a poof of smoke. Kaede blinked.

"What the…? Another clone, kya?" She demanded and whipped around, her eyes darting around to find the real Naruto in the mass below. Rubble was scattered with torn corpses, flames and water left over from the previous attacks, but no sign of an obnoxious blondie in a black and orange jumpsuit. She clenched her fists, smirking a little.

"Looks like I got him after all, kya." She stated, pleased with herself as she finally hit the top of a rooftop on her hunches before standing up.

"Not quite!" A voice yelled. Kaede jerked her head up and whirled around in time for Naruto to slam his fist into her gut. Kaede gasped, blood flying from her mouth as she flew back, flipping into the rooftop under the water town. She winced, her neon orange hair coming undone and hanging in dishevel around her. She wiped the blood from her mouth, lifting herself up in time for Naruto slam his fist into her jaw. Kaede jerked back, wincing.

Naruto punched her in the gut again, the face, the stomach, the face, the stomach over and over again, but she still hadn't collapsed. Naruto gritted his teeth, stopping to breath heavily. Kaede stood in front of him, her arms limp at her sides, blood dribbling down the sides of her mouth, a bruise forming on her left cheek just over a burn scar. She reached up shakily, wiping the blood from her face. A trickle was beginning to run down the center of her forehead, spreading to both sides of her nose.

"Keep trying, kya… I'm not going to go down that easily…" She smirked. Naruto clenched his fists, gritting his teeth before taking another deep breath and swinging his fist forward. Kaede flew back and hit the rooftop, skidding slightly on her elbows and knees. She went still, Naruto standing over her with a frown, his eyes studying her for a moment before his eyes flashed.

"Shit." He cursed and whipped around just in time for the fake Kaede to burst into flames as the real one came up from behind him.

"Sucker, kya! Remember the name, Kitsune!" She laughed and punched him hard in the gut, making him flew through the flames, hissing before he vanished. Kaede flinched and back flipped off the rooftop to avoid another punch in the face from Naruto, who hopped off the water tower. He came to a stop before jumping after Kaede to the ground. They shared quick flashes of blows with fists, their kicks flying through the air.

"I'm so glad we're related, kya!" Kaede giggled and slammed her foot down on Naruto's, making him yelp before he swung his hand back, smacking her across the face and knocking her skidding across the ground. Naruto turned to see Kaede getting to her feet again.

"We're not even close to finishing this battle kyaaa!" Kaede laughed and shot forward, whipping out a kunai. Naruto swung his arm up to block, but Kaede spun in a circle, slamming the kunai into Naruto's side. Naruto gasped, but blinked as the kunai bounced off his side. Kaede yelped.

"What the…?" She demanded angrily. Naruto smirked and caught her wrist, twisting it hard and keeping her arm behind her back before shoving Kaede to the ground so he was sitting on her back, a real kunai to her neck.

"You just lost to your own tricks. You didn't even realize that I ripped off one of your own gag kunai to trick you. Even I felt the rubber of it." He stated. Kaede gritted her teeth.

"We're not done yet, kyaa! I'll kill you, kya! Just fucking wait, kya! I'll slaughter you to itsy bitsy pieces, kyaa! And if I don't, KOTARO-SAMA WILL, KYAAAA!" She screamed furiously, then flinched as Naruto held her head to the ground, glancing up as Kakashi, Kotori, and Guy landed on the rooftop, breathing hard.

"Great job, Naruto!" Guy gave him a thumbs up, grinning with sparkling teeth. Naruto sweat dropped, but nodded and glanced down at the squirming and screaming girl beneath him.

"We'll take her to where the others are being kept, Naruto," Kakashi said, walking over, "Your battle here is done." Naruto didn't move, looking down at Kaede with a sad expression.

"I don't get it. Why is all this happening now? Kakashi-sensei-"

"It's okay, Naruto… You can get up." Kakashi cut in quietly, making a hand sign. Kaede cursed a final time and went limp. Naruto stood up slowly, stepping back as Kakashi lifted the limp Uzumaki girl in his arms.

"Naruto…" Kakashi said softly. Naruto looked up.

"Sasuke's back."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Hope this was dramatic. :D Next few chapters are gonna be action-ee and whatnot since there's a war and stuffies… Ah, I would like to take this time to say that the Shippuden IS coming to an end soon. Your bios for Part III would be greatly appreciated. :) Please and thank you! Also, I have written a high school version of Shadows of Heroes, so if you would like to join that, please read the first chapter and check out the OC requirements on my homepage. Well, I think that's about it! Thanks so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	44. Chapter 44

**UPDATE. MORE OF THE WAR CONTINUES~**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for:**

**The Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**A/N: THIRD POV!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Forty-Four: **Secrets Resurface! The Battle Continues?**

Sasuke sneezed, wincing before he flung his foot up into an enemy's face, stumbling back to swing his leg around to kick another shinobi before doing a flip to land beside Itachi, who had easily knocked the shinobi around him back.

"You know, they say when you sneeze, someone's talking about you." Itachi pointed out before he cocked his head to the side, flinging a kunai in that direction. Sasuke huffed, holding his sword firmly in front of him.

"Hmph! Superstitions are for losers."

"So you say-Sasuke, look out!" Itachi ordered and skidded back across the dirt, Sasuke doing a flip to avoid a jagged zigzag of rocks that shot from the ground toward them. They looked up as a female back flipped off a tree top, landing before them. A white headband covered her eyes, her dark magenta hair in a bob, save for two long strands on either side of her face. Her white flowered patterned jacket, which stopped just under her breasts was caked thickly with blood that still dripped off her sleeves. Her white pants were almost completely stained red as was her magenta sash, her tall black boots sharing the same sticky red liquid. Her lower lip was painted a thick black.

"Che." Sasuke darted forward, swinging his sword around and releasing a hot slash of electricity through the air around him like spider webs. The woman easily flung her foot up, jumping at the same time over the sword and kicking Sasuke in the jaw, sending him flying back before she landed on her hunches and back.

"It is kind to introduce one's self before attack so rudely… I am Kinjo Miyuki." She added on monotone-like. Itachi frowned, clenching his fists in the sleeves of his cloak as he studied the posture of the woman standing before them. Sasuke flipped back to his feet, glaring at her.

"It doesn't matter if I'm going to kill you." He muttered, then went to charge up chidori, but Itachi put a hand on his, lowering it.

"Don't underestimate her, Sasuke."

"She's blind."

"Not quite, but whatever she's hiding under there, don't dare look. Keep your eyes on her footwork."

"How the hell…?" Sasuke's voice trailed as he shut off his Sharingan immediately, lowering his eyes as Miyuki shifted on her feet before making hand signs quickly, jumping up and doing a flip before landing hard on the ground, sending it inwards and causing the earth to rumble and crackle apart. Sasuke and Itachi leapt away, hopping away from the crackling earth with winces. Itachi's Sharingan flickered on for a split second before his eyes widened, the redness shutting off immediately.

"Sasuke! Get off the ground!" He commanded and pushed off the ground quickly, Sasuke already doing the same as hot water spurt from the ground, shooting through the air like thick fountains. Miyuki stood up straight, her arms at her sides as she lifted her face to follow the Uchiha into the air before they landed. The corner of Miyuki's lips seemed to tip slightly in the hint of a smirk before she swung one of her hands up, holding the other in a hand sign at her lips.

She swung her free hand around, two fingers pointing outwards before parting to release to blasts of water. Itachi ducked easily, his shoes skidding and kicking up shirt. Sasuke dodged to the side before throwing his hand forward, releasing a thin stream of electricity into the water. Miyuki's lips seemed to drop back down and she leapt back, stopping the jutsu as the blue jagged stream shot at her.

Itachi took his chance and used quick hands signs, spewing a huge dome of searing hot flames around the darting woman. Miyuki's lips seemed to twitch and her body vanished into the ground as the flames swirled about before vanishing.

"Damn," Sasuke cursed, immediately hopping onto a tree branch, "She's underground… If she's not blind, what the hell is she hiding behind that headband?" Itachi landed on a tree branch across from him, frowning thoughtfully as his eyes slid across the ground.

"I don't know, but one glance at her with Sharingan and I could see the chakra built up behind her eye sockets through her headband. It's powerful and dangerous." He murmured. Sasuke gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he kept his guard up, his eyes darting around on the ground before he activated his Sharingan. His eyes moved slower now, studying the ground, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. Faint, fading streams of chakra were rushed through the water underground, doing all sorts of twists and turns.

Itachi's Sharingan lit up as he scanned the surrounding area before looking up at Sasuke, just about ready to shut off his Sharingan when he saw it, moving up the tree trunk behind him at a high speed.

"Sasuke! Move!" He winced, cutting off to cough into his palm. Sasuke blinked, jerking his head up and whipping around in time for Miyuki to morph right out of the tree trunk, swinging a kunai up to slash him across the face. Sasuke stumbled and lost his balance, falling toward the ground below before he kicked off the tip of his toes on said ground, flipping back onto his feet at the base of the tree Itachi was in.

"You," Miyuki murmured, pointing a finger at Sasuke stoically, "Must learn to silence your moves. A ninja must not be heard… However, your chakra amuses me. Stay put." Sasuke glared at her, then flung his sword forward. Miyuki's hands came up quickly, catching the blade on both sides in between them just an inch from her chest. She tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Intriguing… You are young… Keep trying." She encouraged calmly, dropping the sword with a clatter. Sasuke gritted his teeth and his hands whipped out in a series of rapid hand signs before he leapt back, releasing a powerful amount of flames as large glowing orbs.

Miyuki's hair fluttered as two went by her head as she merely leaned out of the way, ducking once and hopping right into the air in a slash, her knees bent as she held her hands in a hand sign, her head bowed. She jerked her head up, spewing a thick jet of hot water that drenched Sasuke to the bone, Itachi leaping back an inch as the water splashed up on his feet. He frowned, glancing down and grimaced. Sasuke blinked and sniffed a little, bringing his sleeve up to his nose before his eyes flickered upwards. Miyuki landed to the ground, holding a thick branch that was glowing with flames from Sasuke's attack before she tossed it a couple feet before him.

As soon as the glowing end touched the pool of liquid, it set flame, shrieking up at the sky, making Sasuke stumble back, blocking his face from the heat before Itachi dropped down, grabbing Sasuke up by his collar, jerking him into the air so he plopped down on the tree branch.

"You're careless, little brother…" He murmured, glancing up at him. Sasuke glared heatedly, clenching his fists.

"Shut up! It looked like normal water!" He shot back before flicking his eyes up at Miyuki, who cocked her head so it almost touched her left shoulder.

"Ah… Uchiha. Your chakra is familiar, your footwork as well… I can feel just a flutter of your movements through the ground, unlike the careless vibrations that your younger brother seems to enjoy arousing." Miyuki mused, her arms resting at her sides stiffly. Itachi frowned, ripping off his cloak and throwing it over the flames so it burst at the contact, vanishing with the flames as they died.

"That's good," Itachi commented before making a hand sign with one hand, "Let's see you keep up." Miyuki's lips tipped up slightly again, her feet shifting apart slowly to feel for the vibrations. Itachi had already leapt from the ground, Miyuki's head jerking up as the sound of whooshing air touched her ears. She gritted her teeth behind her closed lips, clenching her fists and reaching the senbon in her weapons pouch.

She flung them forward, Itachi easily blocking them with a kunai in his free hand before releasing the same jutsu Miyuki had used to drench Sasuke. Miyuki winced as the water splashed into her, knocking her flying back into a tree trunk before she stood up straight, dripping wet. Itachi moved fast, making hand signs, Miyuki following right up. Itachi spewed hot flames just in time for Miyuki to thrust her palm into the air, releasing a huge shower of water now, blocking the flames and drenching the oil around her.

She flung her foot up to kick Itachi in the face, but he kicked off her foot and skidded back across the dirt. Itachi went for her again, kunai in hand. Sasuke took his chance and slid off the tree as quietly as possible, making hand signs. Itachi had thrust a kunai out, pinning Miyuki's sleeve to the tree trunk, jumping back in time for Sasuke to shoot forward, holding a screeching orb of electricity in his palm. Sasuke slammed the jutsu right into Miyuki's chest, causing her head to jerk upwards, her headband flying off and blood bursting past her lips.

Sasuke frowned as soon as his hand jerked forth from her chest before his eyes widened and he immediately skidded back, Itachi doing the same and more off to the side. Miyuki's body trembled for a moment before her head fell forward, lifting up slightly to reveal empty eye sockets, her skin slowly peeling and ripping off. Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"Shit." He cursed. Itachi grimaced as the skin slowly ripped off, revealing the true victim as a member of Kotaro's army. However, it wasn't all bad, Sasuke noted. One down, hundreds more to go! But where was the real Miyuki? He moved forward to get a better view when something grabbed onto his ankles and held him in place. He blinked and jerked his head up as Miyuki seemed to pull herself up out of the pools of water, her head held down as her headband stayed behind in the puddle.

Sasuke's eyes automatically flicked toward her face, just as Miyuki lifted her head, but Itachi moved fast, slamming into Sasuke and knocking him onto the ground. Sasuke winced and gasped, his feet coming free from the water's hold. However, a throbbing sensation in one of his ankles told him he had sprained it badly. He jerked his head up in time to see Itachi's eyes flicker lightly before they grew cloudy and empty. He fell to his knees, appearing dazed. Sasuke didn't dare let his eyes meet Miyuki's as she worked her jutsu.

_SPLAT! SPLASH! Paint splatter of deep red blood, staining the evening grass that brushed gently in the wind. Shrieks, yells, and screams echoed on the battle field as weapons and jutsu flew, slicing the air inhumanely. More thick red blood pooled and the sea of red only stretched on…_

"_Take care of your brother while we're gone, Itachi!" Mikoto waved, laughing as she hooked her arm with her husband, who kept a stern expression. Itachi nodded, giving his parents a quick wave before he looked down at Sasuke, who was held in his arms, wrapped in a deep blue blanket._

"_I'm glad you're not crying anymore, little brother." He smiled, giving his head a little tilt. The baby in the bundle blinked, then giggled and reached his hands out, grasping eagerly at the smiling face above him. Itachi smiled back and reached a finger toward him, only to have Sasuke grasp it, beaming._

"_Don't cry, Sasuke. Your big brother is here to protect you no matter what happens." Itachi said softly to his sobbing and wailing brother, who wiggling in his arms. The air was dense and heavy, reeking with danger and it made Itachi hold Sasuke a bit tighter, averting his eyes. When were mother and father coming home? Something was wrong…_

"_Big brother! ANIKI! Come play with me! Please, please, please!" Sasuke pleaded, clasping his hands together under his chin and beaming up at Itachi, who had just arrived home. Itachi smiled at him and gave him a little jab in the forehead._

"_I have homework, silly…" His voice trailed at Sasuke's stubborn pout, making him laugh quietly. "But I'm sure it can wait. What game did you want to play?"_

"_YAY!" Sasuke cheered and grabbed onto his brother's arm, beaming happily._

"_Kill them…" Itachi's eyes widened for a split second before going back going back to normal, his fingers flexing and clenching at his sides. The meeting was split up and Itachi exited, his shoes clacking and echoing as he made his way out onto the roof, where the Third Hokage was already standing, watching the wind rustle the tree leaves, his eyes scanning the Hokage Faces._

"_Lord Hokage…"_

"_Anikiiii! Aniki, what's wrong? You look sad." Sasuke murmured, tilting his head and looking up at Itachi, who had taken his time walking home. He looked up and immediately smiled, patting Sasuke on the head after giving him a quick jab in the forehead._

"_No, I'm just tired… How about some dinner?"_

"_Okay! Let's make tomato sandwiches together!"_

"_Sure… Whatever you want, Sasuke…"_

_Blood splattered on the side of the wall, a kunai clattering to the ground as bodies fell one by one. KUR-SPLAT! A body smacked into the wall and slid down, leaving a trail of blood before it hit the ground. The blood, the bright red blood was everywhere again. The silver blade glistening in the bright moonlight, another blade joining it in the massacre. An Uchiha fell at the hands of another, like lambs to the slaughter, their thick red blood pooling and streaming down the streets as well as solemn face._

"_All done, Itachi… Get ready for the main event." A taunting voice cooed, slightly muffled by an orange black flamed mask. Itachi's red eyes glowed as red as the liquid that dripped down his face and from his left eye, leaving a dark trail down his cheek before he turned away._

Sasuke flung a kunai forward, Miyuki wincing and jumping back to avoid it. He rolled onto his back, sitting up to see Itachi jolt from whatever deep trance he had been sucked into, gasping quietly before he cringed and leaned over, holding his stomach with a sickened expression as he vomited, blood dripping along with it.

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled and gritted his teeth, making a hand sign as Miyuki went to lock eyes with Itachi again, sending fireballs shooting after the woman, who back flipped out of the way, using her chakra to stick to a tree. She frowned, tilting her head as Sasuke leaned forward, glaring at Itachi, who was coughing blood into the palm of his hand.

"Itachi, what the hell's wrong?" Sasuke demanded, digging his nails into the ground. Itachi managed to catch his breath, panting, but still keeping a mostly straight face.

"I'm fine… Give me a second." With that, Itachi's Sharingan burst back to life in his eyes as he lifted them back up. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Itachi!"

"Foolish." Miyuki murmured as her eyes locked with Itachi's, but they flashed. Miyuki's round, purely white eyes, containing no pupil, no iris. Nothing, but an endless pit of white. Before she could even stop it, she was torn back. She found herself sitting on her knees in a room, unable to move. She gritted her teeth and glanced down at her wrists, blinking in surprise. She was small… A child? She blinked and looked around the bamboo room, her eyes widening lightly in recognition. The meeting room within her sealed home, where they received punishment for academy failures.

Then she felt it. Swift, sharp, and stinging. _WHA-CRACK!_ The leather whip cut into her back, making her gasp.

_CRACK!_

_CRACK!_

_CRACK!_

She could feel heavy drops leak down her back before she clenched her fists.

"You are well skilled with your Sharingan…" She murmured and her eyes glowed a bright white before her heart pounded, everything vanishing before reappearing. She was on her knees, shaking slightly as Itachi stumbled a little, grasping at his eye. Miyuki frowned and slowly rose to her feet, swaying slightly.

"Spare me," She said calmly, bowing at the waist as best she could, closing her eyes, "As I attacked you, you may want revenge… And I normally do not find it in my best tastes to ask for mercy… But I have a child waiting for me back at home and he is only a year old." Itachi frowned, clasping his hand over the left side of his face. Sasuke glared at him, then at Miyuki, huffing in her direction. Neither boy said anything, so Miyuki nodded and whipped around, shooting off.

"We should've killed her." Sasuke muttered, struggling to stand up as Itachi walked over, helping him steady himself on the sore ankle.

"How would you feel if Sakura was in that position?" Itachi asked. Sasuke blinked, then averted his eyes and gritted his teeth. He had no response as Itachi studied his expression, slightly concerned. Sasuke jerked his head the other way, closing his eyes in refusal to answer.

"SASUKE!" Sasuke looked up, his eyes flashing sharply as he wore an expression of pure annoyance and mild surprise as a familiar blondie came bursting through the trees.

"Loser." Sasuke muttered as Naruto landed across from him. He flashed Itachi a short glare, to which Itachi said nothing to and looked the other way.

"What's going on…?"

"I'd love to sit here and chat, but my ankle's broken, I'm sopping wet, and we're engaged in a battle to the death against a sadistic psycho. Or did you forget?" Sasuke asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Naruto gritted his teeth, clenching his fists before he blinked.

"Your ankle-"

"Shut up. Lead us to the nearest medical dispatch so I can get back out here and bash these assholes into the ground." Sasuke ordered, putting a hand on his hip and glaring at Naruto seriously. Naruto stared at him with wide blue eyes, shocked, before a grin spread across his face.

"I couldn't have said it better myself! Let's go, bastard!"

"Shut up, loser."

**Meanwhile…**

"Get the fuck outta my way!" Ruriko ordered, waving her hand out and clenching her other fist angrily. Daiki sighed.

"What a bad mouth… Come, we're relatives. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement." He added, tilting his head and smiling so falsely it was shameful. Ruriko scowled and made a hand sign quickly just as Daiki vanished. Ruriko winced.

"Shit, that's right." She cursed and released the spider web of jutsu, skidding back just in case. The electricity crackled like a blanket before slowly vanishing. Ruriko went still, listening to any sounds of shoes moving. There was nothing, but the sound of explosions everywhere and weapons clanging. The sound was terrible, Ruriko noted. War was a lot scarier than she'd imagined. She bolted forward, only to have someone's foot stick out and trip her. She winced and whipped around as Daiki stood over her, slowly revealing himself.

"Don't attack me right away. I just wanted to talk. I'd never try and kill my niece." He murmured, his eyes glowing down at her as well as his genuine smile. Ruriko clenched her fists, propping herself up on her elbows, glaring.

"Shut up. I'm not talking anymore, especially to the likes of you. ANYONE who joins Kotaro's army is a worthless parasite to me now." She snapped and swung her leg out to kick Daiki, but he jumped over and back, giving her an amused stare, folding his arms.

"Is that so…? And what of poor Hioshi? What will he think when his favorite sibling says such a thing to his face?" He asked. Ruriko blinked, her heart pounding as she remembered the file she'd tried to steal from Kotaro. The one in Hioshi's hand writing before she cringed, slowly standing up and keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Hioshi… I'll… I'll talk to the Kazekage… Maybe I can just get them to lock him down."

"With all his computers and technology? His own little cage of hawks to send mail out? And what will it matter if Kotaro takes over the village anyway? You'll be on your knees, dear niece, as bloodied as the other useless shinobi of this village. Don't waste your time fighting for them. If you beg Kotaro to join, he _might_ just consider. However, he was pretty angry after that letter you left behind for him." Daiki added with a shrug, gesturing his arms up. Ruriko blinked, then smirked slowly.

"Good. I'm glad he's pissed. Because after I kill you, I'm going to find that selfish bastard and shove my foot up his ass! Just like I wrote!" She yelled and whipped out a kunai, rushing at him. Daiki frowned and dodged to the side, aiming to kick her down, but Ruriko back flipped and swung the kunai down at him. Daiki skidded back and vanished. Ruriko made hand signs quickly.

"Water Style. Dark Abyss." She whispered and swung her palms out, dark fog rolling out thickly. It spread throughout the entire village, much to Ruriko's disappointment, but she stayed utterly silent, glancing around and listening for any sounds. Some explosions nearby had completely halted, voices yelling through the thick fog. Ruriko waited and heard a foot slid across the dirt somewhere in front of her. She frowned and got down on her hunches, glancing under the fog in case she's see who's feet it was.

Much too late, she'd realized that someone was bound to go through the fog and get hit by her jutsu instead of Daiki. She mentally cursed herself for the careless mistake.

She heard a weird slinking sound somewhere, like something sliding through the dirt and coming closer. She held her hands together in a hand sign, moving slowly. Something shot forward and Ruriko yelped, bringing her hands out so electricity shot through the fog, pushing some of it aside and revealing the burnt corpse of a large lizard. Ruriko panted, standing up and grimacing. She listened more carefully, daring to take a step forward when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She swung her fist around, but hit air and fog. She blinked and something clamped over her mouth, making her wince. She felt something sharp cut just between her ribs into her stomach. Her eyes widened slightly as the warm spread of blood dripped down her belly and stained the top of her shirt. The hand left her mouth, making her gasp and look down. A kunai stuck out of her stomach, embedded in pretty deeply.

"A careless move, niece. Tell Kishiko I apologize." Daiki said quietly, stepping back. Ruriko winced and reached down to the kunai, gripping the handle. Daiki frowned as she tore it out, yelling in pain as blood splattered to the ground. She stumbled a little before swinging it around, slashing Daiki in the face. Daiki flinched and jumped back, clasping a hand over his face. Ruriko breathed hard, pain ripping up her torso and down her legs, everything tingling.

"Yea… No, tell my mom I said hi… And I was glad to kill you." She responded shakily and swung the kunai out. Daiki smirked, ready to side step it, which he did, but as soon as he did, the kunai stopped in mid-air, being jerked back just as he stepped forward again. The blade sliced into the side of his neck, making him gasp and throw a hand up over it. Ruriko jerked the kunai back by the wire around it, smirking as blood ran from her mouth.

"Gotcha, just kidding. Here's the real attack." She swung the kunai back out. Daiki ducked this time and Ruriko made a hand sign, sending a shock of electricity through the wire and into the kunai, which she only tugged lightly to so it hardly went back any and hit Daiki in the shoulder. He gasped and struggled to escape the webbing of blue electricity, stumbling back. Ruriko smirked, but winced at the pain in her gut as she collapsed to her knees at last. Daiki, scorched and bleeding in places, walked up to her slowly, clenching the kunai in his fist.

"Nice last attempt… Too bad you're dead." He stated and swung the kunai up, only to have someone come in and kick him in the ribs, knocking him slamming into a wall and crashing it inwards. Ruriko blinked, then looked up as the person landed.

"You're not dying yet, brat! We haven't even gotten a rematch!" Osamu yelled, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at her. Ruriko stared, her hand clenching over her stomach.

"Osamu… You have no idea how glad I am to see you." She managed. Osamu smirked.

"Of course, you are. Stay put. Kishi's bringing her medical equipment. I'll deal with this asshole." He glanced up as Daiki stumbled out of the wall, glaring at him.

"Nice intervention, child, but you don't stand a change against an S-rank." Daiki drawled before slowly vanishing. Ruriko winced.

"Osamu, that's his jutsu! He blends in with his surroundings. Be careful." She ordered. Osamu snorted, but didn't disobey, taking out a kunai quietly and his eyes scanning the foggy terrain before his hearing picked up on a sound. He smirked and swung his foot around, kicking something in the gut.

Daiki's arm reappeared, but nothing else as he flew back, crashing into another building. Ruriko's eyes flicked after him, watching as Daiki got up again, Osamu confidently still standing. Ruriko frowned when she got a tingle of goose bumps, glancing toward the building that Daiki had slammed into. Her eyes widened.

_The Uchiha Police Building…! The library!_ She thought and whipped around.

"Osamu! Keep your eyes on the shadows as well as Daiki!" She yelled. Osamu frowned, glancing at her.

"The shadows?"

"Daiki broke into the library, where I had already trapped someone! He's a living shadow- And freaking right behind you!" Ruriko yelled. Osamu jerked forward and swung his foot up in the process. Kage easily stepped back. Ruriko was pleased, however, to see that Kage's was practically smoke, which meant it was damn close to vanishing.

"Shit." Osamu cursed and swung his kunai out at Daiki, who was rushing at him. Kage came at him from the front. Ruriko scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain in her wound as she darted in front of the jutsu Kage had sent out. She went slamming to the ground, rolling a bit before she hit Osamu's feet.

"Ugh, fucking…" Her voice trailed as she winced, Osamu bending down to jerk her to feet.

"Don't do that! I could've handled it myself!" He insisted. Ruriko stuck her tongue out at him. Osamu twitched and went to yell at her, but looked up as Daiki tore the kunai out, swinging it back. Kage had sent another jutsu at the same time.

"Hold on." Osamu ordered, jerking Ruriko up into his arms.

"What the hell…? You jackass!" Ruriko protested, but winced as Osamu shot up, avoiding both attacks and landing on a nearby rooftop, glancing at her as he set her down against a chimney.

"Stay there and don't move, got it?" Osamu ordered. Ruriko glared, but said nothing as she held an arm over her wound. Osamu whipped around and made as few hand signs, holding his hand around his mouth and releasing a huge blast of fire jutsu. There was a yell from someone and Ruriko could only guess it was Kage. The fog blasted away from the air, shooting away in waves to the edges of the village and vanishing. Osamu stepped back.

"Your uncle's pretty good… But that other guy is completely gone. I can't see him anywhere." He muttered. Ruriko peeked over the edge, reeling back to avoid a blast from a wind attack from Daiki. She cursed at him, then looked at Osamu.

"He's probably dead. He can't stand the light and that fire was like a huge sun in itself, which probably killed him. Thank god, he's a pain in the ass… Daiki's jutsu is to blend in. He's good with fire and wind. Be careful, he's pretty manipulative too. Don't give him a chance to talk." She explained firmly. Osamu nodded and stepped forward onto the edge of the building, but Ruriko grabbed his wrist.

"What now?" He demanded. Ruriko glared at him.

"Be careful in general." She commanded. Osamu stared at her, then nodded and shot off the rooftop. Ruriko rolled over on her belly, looking over the edge as she watched Osamu start up a fire jutsu, sending it in Daiki's direction. Daiki vanished, except for his arm, signaling that his chakra was low. Ruriko smirked.

"Get him, jackass." She murmured to Osamu, who swung out several kunai, a huge blast of chakra emerging from him and shooting around like a tornado. Ruriko winced and leaned away from the edge on her hands and knees, panting and wincing. Pain radiated in her stomach. She coughed, blood splattering to the top of the roof. She glanced up to see Osamu throw her a warning glare before he made a hand sign, using a whirlwind of fire that got mixed up with his blast of chakra, rushing forward. She lost sight of Daiki in the mass of fire and lashing chakra. She prayed that Osamu had gotten him as she leaned back, breathing hard.

Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake heavily, making Ruriko gasp and fall on her side. She rolled over on her back, tilting her head to get an upside view of something that was causing the fog to blast away. It was shaking heavily, but it slowly subsided after having blasted down several buildings and knocking the glass from the windows. She caught a glimpse of heavy electricity sucking itself into non-existence. She frowned, but her eyes widened as she remembered standing by Kotaro's previous hideout.

The entire building had crashed and there had been a huge dent in the side of the cliff, practically cutting half of said cliff off.

Ruriko grimaced and forced herself up to sit up in time to see someone land on the roof across from her, her eye widening before the fog vanished. Kishi was running toward her, breathing hard. She had a cut in her cheek, but she ignored it.

"Ruriko, where's Osamu?" She asked worriedly, dropping down beside her. Ruriko stared at her, then smiled a bit tiredly, pointing.

"Down there, killing my uncle." She answered lazily. Kishi blinked and merely tilted her head before she made hand signs, frowning at Ruriko's wound. Moments later, Eiji seemed to follow, a frown on his face. He appeared a bit banged up, but in good enough shape to walk over, glancing over the roof toward Osamu. Ruriko let her eye wander back as well. Osamu had back flipped to avoid a blast of fire before he used his own fire blast, shuriken raining out after it had subsided. Seconds later, everything was silent, Osamu panting as his eyes flickered around. He frowned and jumped up, revealing himself to be bloodied and sweaty.

"He's gone… He was standing there for a second, said something about a kid, and completely vanished. Did you guys feel that earthquake or whatever? It made the hairs on my arm stand up!" He exclaimed, getting on his hunches to watch as Kishi healed Ruriko's wound. Ruriko winced every so often, cringing and biting into her lip, then glanced at him.

"Kid? He mentioned a kid?" She asked, confused.

"I don't know either, but as soon as we're done, we have to go back and find Kotori-sensei. She was in the area that explosion or earthquake or whatever came from. Think you're gonna be okay?" Osamu asked, looking at Ruriko, who laughed, ducking her head a little.

"Oh, please… As soon as she's done healing me, I'm going off to kick some more ass." Ruriko replied cockily, huffing. Osamu rolled his eyes, but smirked anyway.

"Good luck then… And I know what happened, a while back, so I'm still going to kick your ass for that too… But it's good to see you back." He added, averting his eyes a puckering his lips a little in distaste at admitting it. Ruriko twitched and scowled at him, but smirked afterwards as Kishi stepped back.

"Be careful. That's only temporary until this thing blows over and you can see a real doctor. That wound was pretty deep." Kishi advised. Ruriko nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, Kishi. I owe you one. Guess I'll see you guys later." She said. Osamu nodded and looked at his teammates before they all shot off. Ruriko watched them go before she turned around.

"All right. Let's see what there is to do next." She stated and shot off. Her boots hit the rooftops quickly. She passed several wandering members of Kotaro's army, taking the time to blast them with electricity or kick them in the head before she continued. She blinked when she saw the hospital coming up. It was ruined pretty badly, but there were still shinobi running around, some protecting the hospital from the flow of enemies and some going in. She saw a familiar shinobi kicking an enemy in the face before doing a flip.

"AKIRA!" Ruriko yelled at the top of her lungs. Akira whipped around, then yelped as Ruriko practically tackled him into the fence around the top of the hospital.

"Ruriko? Wh-Where…? What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded, staring at her confusion. Ruriko huffed, putting her hands on her hips and ignoring the dull throb of pain in her stomach.

"Jerk, that's now how you greet your younger sister!"

"But, I thought Sasuke and you…"

"No," Ruriko muttered with a frown, "The deal I made with Sasuke is over and- Oh my god… Where's Sasuke and Itachi?" Akira blinked, then glanced around.

"I didn't know they were even here… But they might be near the east gate. It was blown of its hinges earlier. Itachi? Isn't he from Akatsuki? Ruriko, stop hanging around criminals!"

"Oh, shut up! They're not criminals anymore…"

"What're you-"

"As part of Sunagakure's Special Criminal Information Squad, I declare they are no longer criminals to the ninja world. Damn, Guy was right. That is a mouthful, but that's not the point! I totally forgot I have one last piece of work to do before I come back here. Tell Kazuya and Nero I said hi, I love them, and I'll be back in a flash."

"Ruriko, what do you mean they're not- RURIKO!" Akira protested, but Ruriko merely pecked him on the cheek before whipping around and shooting off toward the east gate. Akira rolled his eyes, then yelped as he ducked a kunai, whipping around to kick an enemy in the jaw.

Ruriko shot over the rooftops as fast as she could, frowning as she easily knocked any attacking enemies from her. _I can't believe I almost forgot. If I didn't do this, Madara'd probably be pissed. Gotta find Sasuke… Where the hell is he?_ She wondered, her eyes scanning the trees as she flipped off the last rooftop into the forest. She frowned, then yelped as she spun to her right, blocking a kick.

"Ow! You asshole!" Ruriko snapped. Naruto blinked, lowering his foot.

"You?"

"Oh my gods, me. Yea, it's me, you dumbass! Where's Sasuke and Itachi?" Ruriko demanded. Naruto huffed, putting his fists on his hips, but shrugged afterwards, pointing behind him.

"They were over there last I checked. Well, Sasuke at least. Itachi had gone off toward the hospital."

"What the hell? I didn't even- Oh, never mind. Take me to Sasuke now." Ruriko ordered, flicking Naruto in the nose and making him yelp before he huffed and shot off toward Sasuke, Ruriko following hot on his heels. Ruriko skidded to a stop as she caught Sasuke stumble, but fling a kunai into the face of an attacker.

"Sasuke!" She yelled. Sasuke stopped and whipped around, glaring at him.

"You! I was hoping you were killed." He muttered.

"Fuck off," Ruriko snapped as she approached him, leaving Naruto to defend against an enemy, "I have something to tell you. I don't know everything about what happened with you and your clan, but I'm sure Itachi's given you a summary of what happened." Sasuke frowned, averting his eyes.

"Pretty much… How the hell do you know?" He asked. Not demanded, but asked simply and it almost surprised Ruriko into silence, but she managed to continue.

"When I went to destroy your criminal files… I saw the story in Itachi's file. The library has a file on everyone, even non-criminals. It's like a book of their life, told by someone else. I only read a little and stopped, so I don't know anything, like I said. Did Itachi mention a man by the name of Danzo?" Ruriko asked. Sasuke frowned, rolling his eyes thoughtfully before shrugging.

"He may have mentioned it."

"Kill him." Ruriko stated. Sasuke blinked and glared at her.

"He's from Konoha. If I kill him, they'll list me-"

"No. Take him somewhere else. Leave. Kill him and come back. If anyone asks, they'll assume he's amongst the causalities of the village. Do it while the war is struggling to stay afloat. It's almost over. I have a strong feeling about it." Ruriko explained quietly.

"…" Sasuke frowned at her for a moment. Ruriko huffed.

"When you left Konoha, you were a Genin. According to records, you're still Genin and I'm a Special Jounin. I _order_ you to go and kill Danzo." She commanded. Sasuke clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in annoyance before smirking slightly.

"That's going to change after this is all over and I'll be your boss again… Just you wait." He swore and shot off. Ruriko smirked confidently, then swung around in time for an enemy to hop off a rooftop. She swung her foot up, kicking him in the jaw and sending him flying back.

"Naruto!" She yelled. Naruto looked up after defeating an enemy.

"What?"

"I'm leaving the east gate in your care! I have to go check on Itachi!"

"Got it!" Naruto grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Ruriko winked and shot off, hopping quickly across tree branches and rooftops, making her way back to the hospital.

_Even though I'm a Special Jounin, however,_ She thought with a frown, _I'm still a dog of Madara's… That's a pretty nasty thought. And pretty fucking ironic. A criminal information Jounin working for a criminal…_ She picked up the speed, skidding across a rooftop and coming to a halt as she winced. A small portion of the hospital was shrieking with hot flames that licked at the sky, rising higher and higher.

_Shit, I don't know any water techniques that'll destroy that fire._ She thought, her eyes watching the fire reach up higher. Suddenly, a blast of water shot out from beside her, dousing the flames. She whipped around to see Itachi just landing to the roof, lowering his hands.

"Itachi!" She cried. Itachi looked at her, blood dripping down the side of his mouth and staining his clothes.

"I was hoping to find you… Where were you?" He asked, approaching her. Ruriko frowned, shifting.

"Uh… Family matters." She replied stiffly. She suddenly hear Madara's voice in the back of her mind, as her eyes drifted over the ruined village. Itachi followed her gaze.

_You are to lead Kotaro to Konohagakure… He will fight until his last breath and die. After that, stick around a little bit… Wait until I call on you again for some adventure. Something to make your little heart pound out of control…_

Ruriko flinched. Itachi looked at her, frowning.

"Are you all right?" He asked. Ruriko blinked and mindlessly moved her hand over her stomach.

"Just a little wound… Sasuke said you said to the hospital."

"I had a bit of a detour… But I need to find pills that look like that." Itachi pulled a small velvet pouch from his pocket. Ruriko frowned and took them, opening it up. A single pill lay at the bottle. It was round and pale blue, a large T and some numbers on it.

"A pill for what?" She asked, looking up. Itachi was looking the other way tiredly.

"As much as I rather not say as Madara and Kisame are the only ones who know… I'm sick." He replied slowly, moving his eyes back to her. Ruriko blinked.

"Sick? What kind of sick?" She asked worriedly. Itachi just shrugged lightly, walking over and taking the small bag, sticking it back in his pocket.

"Let's leave it at, it's not a simple cold." He said softly. Ruriko looked up at him, frowning, lowering her arms to her sides.

"Then let's not stick around and find those pills." She replied. Itachi nodded and they shot off to the hospital. Ruriko gained them access through the roof, taking note that Akira had abandoned his post there. She opened the door, walking down the stairs. Their shoes were the only sounds that came down the stairs. Ruriko opened the door and gasped, leaping back.

"Oh my gods." She managed. Bodies were littered in the halls, some fresh and some a few hours old. A child's body was slumped near the door, making Ruriko jump back into Itachi, who frowned.

"I know it's useless to tell you to calm down," He said quietly, touching her shoulder, "But we need to keep going. There's nothing we can do." Ruriko grimaced and side stepped the corpse.

"My gods, this is creepy… It's worse than a lot of other hospitals." She muttered, averting her eyes as they walked down the hall. She opened a few doors to peek in, but found nothing, but empty beds. She followed a few signs, sighing.

"I'm starting to regret what I did… Maybe we should have just waited for Kotaro at the cave and killed him back in Uzushigakure." She murmured. Itachi frowned, glancing at her as he walked beside her.

"Don't say that… It was meant to happen. Even if we did stay behind, we couldn't have defeated Kotaro. It only takes someone with a strong will and great power. Sasuke's power is excellent, but hardly enough to even defend. My power isn't strong enough at all, neither is my will."

"And I'm terrified of the bastard…" Ruriko mumbled, ashamed. Itachi smiled lightly.

"It's understandable. Everyone's afraid of something." He replied, his eyes flicking back up as they approached a room, a sign beside it reading MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND FILE ROOM. MEDICAL STAFF ONLY.

"Bullshit." Ruriko stated and stripped the sign off before they walked in. Ruriko winced at the many aisles of pills, files, and other equipment.

"Ah, needles!" She gasped, hugging herself and twitching at the sight of a box of sterile needles. Itachi glanced around and walked forward.

"Be careful. Don't knock anything over."

"Got it…" Ruriko started walking down the aisle, frowning at the dimness of the room before her eyes locked on a few files that were piled nearby. She glanced through the metal shelves at Itachi, who was looking through a box himself, so she glanced back and opened the files. She recognized a few shinobi: Matsuki Sora, Tachibana Ayaka, Souh Kasumi, Tsukuyomi Akira, Haruno Sakura, and Saki Kishi. She frowned nosily and started scanning the files as quickly as possible. Most of it was medical information, doctor dates, recent injuries, and recent missions. She recognized the last mission, a private and disclosed, as well as illegal, mission set without permission by the Hokage.

"It's not polite to delve into innocent people." Itachi's voice made her jump and drop the files, whipping around.

"S-Sorry… I'm a sucker for information." She admitted. Itachi nodded.

"Well, if they become criminals, feel free to dig into their information, but for now, leave the secrets to the doctors."

"Fine… Did you find the pills?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, no… But I found this." Itachi held up a small medical box, something strapped onto the side. It was beeping slowly, bright green numbers changing slowly. Ruriko's eyes widened.

"It's a bomb." She stated. Itachi nodded.

"Someone must have come in here earlier, set it, and left. It says we have two minutes before it goes off. We're going to the roof and throwing it."

"Throwing it?"

"I can't disable it. The best chance is to throw it as far into the air as possible and hope it explodes there."

"You're dangerous." Ruriko stated. Itachi shrugged, giving a light smile.

"I'm sure my file said that too."

"Are you mad that I read your files?"

"Nope."

"Then why do you keep pointing it out?"

"Because you blush when I do." Itachi replied calmly and headed for the door. Ruriko went pinker and bolted after him. They ran to the stair case, hopping over bodies and racing up the stairs. The time was beeping faster.

"Ten seconds." Itachi muttered.

"I don't mean to give you a heart attack or even a headache, but go faster!" Ruriko protested. Itachi threw open the door and flung the bomb as high as he could in the air, making a hand sign afterwards and sending a blast of cool air upwards to blast it even higher.

"Get down." Itachi commanded and slammed the door shut, grabbing Ruriko and jerking her down. They sat in silence before a loud explosion went off in the air. The door rattled and the sound of the fencing blowing off followed before silence. Itachi frowned and reached up, opening the door. Ruriko peeked out, whistling.

"Damn… That thing was huge…" She managed, her eyes scanning the blackened rooftop. The fencing had completely gone away and the front of the door was burnt as black as the roof. Suddenly, Itachi coughed beside her, making her jump and look at him. He was covering his mouth with his shirt, blood dripping from his lips.

"Itachi!"

"Does everyone have to yell? Calm down… We need to get back down stairs…"

"But-"

"Now." Itachi commanded. Ruriko sighed, but helped Itachi to his feet. They went back downstairs, pausing with the door a crack downstairs as a group of shinobi bolted past. Enemy shinobi. Ruriko clenched her fists, but they snuck out, running back to the medical room, only to find someone inside, poking around.

"I'll go in," Itachi told Ruriko quietly, "Stay out here and make sure no one enters."

"Got it." Ruriko nodded. Itachi slipped into the room. There was silence before the sound of a body hitting the ground. Ruriko thoughtlessly flinched, then looked up as a group of shinobi came racing down the hall, one yelling when he saw her. Ruriko smirked.

"Bring it on." She stated and made hand signs, flinging her hand upwards. A blast of electricity shot down, knocking several onto their feet. Ruriko frowned, glancing to her left as two came racing at her with shuriken flying. She ducked and swung her foot out, knocking them onto their feet before popping back up, one coming from straight ahead, kunai in hand.

"About time I got dinner." Ruriko muttered as she flung her foot up, kicking the enemy in the jaw and slamming her fist into his stomach, ripping out anything her fingers grabbed inside. Blood splattered across the floor as she brought her hand to her mouth, taking a bite out of whatever she'd grabbed. She wiped her blood hand across her cheek, listening as the eerie silence hung afterwards. She glanced up.

_When is this going to end…?_ She wondered with a frown.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I was going to go on, but this chapter was getting TOO long. lol. It's about 19 pages on Word. O.o Hope you enjoyed it! There's still a bit more of this war to come, so be aware. o3o Also, I was thinking of making a credits chapter, giving credits to everyone's OCs and whatnot, so look out for that at the very end. Also, as you send in your OCs Part III bios, be sure to send their children's bios as well, seeing as the children are mostly mentioned. Well, thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	45. Chapter 45

**UPDATE. Almost forgot this A/N… xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Ikiteiru Kage**

**Uzumaki Kaede**

**Mushishokan Gatsuki**

**Nero**

**Roku**

**A/N: THIRD POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Forty-Five: **As The Sun Glows… Reviving the Clan!**

"Shit," Ayaka cursed loudly, swinging her foot around to kick an enemy in the face before ducking an attack at the side, "They're not backing down. You'd think that their leader was already dead!"

"Hang in there a bit longer, Ayaka," Mayu warned as she slammed a kunai into an enemy's face, her eyes avoiding the event, "The flow is stopping. This means that they're army is just about finished."

"If they're smart, they'll back down shortly." Ryuuko said as he used a water jutsu to tear apart several enemies while dousing a fire at the same time.

"Sensei and Ryuuko are right," Honoka agreed as she sent a flash of earth exploding through the ground, knocking several shinobi into pieces.

"Mayu-sensei," Mayu jerked her head up as Kazuya landed on the ground nearby, "I have orders from your Hokage to have you abandon this post."

"What? But there's still a good amount of shinobi…" Her voice trailed as Kazuya smiled warmly, giving his head a small tilt.

"It's fine, Mayu-sensei. I've been watching you fight for almost two hours. You're growing tired and your chakra is low. The Hokage wishes to have you report to the hospital… There's a bit of infiltration there, but medical supplies you can use to heal yourself with." He advised.

"You were standing there how long and you didn't bother to jump in?" Ayaka demanded, putting a hand on her hip seeing as she was joined to Honoka from the other. Honoka just sighed as Kazuya beamed.

"If I jumped in, it'd be a waste of time. Your skills were enough to get rid of the strongest of Kotaro's army. There are only the small ones left, which I will gladly take care of, giving you a rest." He replied.

"Let's not complain," Ryuuko said, glancing at his sensei, who blinked, "I'm not going to lie. My chakra is steadily lowering from the amount of jutsu I've used. I also have a senbon stuck deep in my ribcage."

"Damn it." Ayaka cursed, averting her eyes, wiping sweat from her face. Honoka nodded.

"I agree… Ayaka knows as well as I do that our physical states are becoming exhausted." She said, glancing at Ayaka, who shrugged lightly. Mayu sighed, standing up straight.

"All right… Good luck, Kazuya-sensei. Be careful." She added, giving him a pat before she nodded to her team. They shot off over the ruined buildings, a few of the other shinobi that were assisting them also taking off. Kazuya faced the gaping hole in the wall of Konohagakure. His eyes appeared sad.

"It's too bad," He murmured, seeing a few enemy shinobi crawling like spiders over the ruined wall, "The wall around this village was one of the few sights of this village that I really enjoyed…" He looked down as a group of shinobi approached.

"One Jounin?" One demanded.

"Is the Hokage drunk?"

"Move, man, unless you wish to die mercilessly." The leader ordered angrily, thrusting a finger in Kazuya's face. Kazuya blinked, then smiled.

"I was going to say that same thing…" He moved fast and bit down on the man's finger, hard and tearing it off. The man howled and stumbled back against his group.

"What the hell was that?"

"Did he just…?"

Kazuya spat the meat out, wiping the blood from his mouth with a frown, glancing up and smiling again as if nothing had happened.

"If you had been up against my brother or sister, they'd of quickly eaten that, but I happen to be a vegetarian, so I won't eat you… But I'll tear you to pieces for running the tranquility of such a peaceful village." He stated and his smile dropped as he made a hand sign with one hand, a different with his other hand. He swung his hands out toward them.

"Good bye." Water shot from his right palm in a corkscrew fashion, blasting the right half of the group away in a shower of blood. The left released a cool blast of wind that whipped around, shredding anything in its path, which happened to be the left side of the group, leaving only the middle to stand, yelling.

Kazuya swung both his hands together so his wrists touched and he smiled, closing his eyes.

"Kotaro has bad choice in subordinates…" He kept his eyes closed, his smile on as both palms shot out wind and water in a lashing array. The center of the group all slammed into the ground, bleeding heavily while some were missing limbs. Kazuya lowered his arms, opening his eyes.

"I really shouldn't be a shinobi." He sighed miserably.

"Why would you say that?" Kazuya yelped as someone smacked him in the back, making him whip around. Guy was chuckling at him, a few Jounin and Chuunin behind him.

"You took them all out yourself! Mayu-sensei warned us to come help you, but it seems you don't need our assistance!" Guy laughed, putting his hands on his hips and winking. Kazuya sweat dropped and smiled a bit.

"Ah, the problem is killing them." He put in, then beamed when he saw Akira hop out of the group, smirking.

"Of course. Kazuya's not much for killing anyone, even enemies." Akira replied. Kazuya sighed, averting his eyes, then looking back.

"Is everything over?" He asked. Akira frowned.

"Most of the way. Mayu-sensei reached the hospital within seconds of leaving here. She and her team managed to kill them all, in the same amount of time you did. We're impressed… The Hokage is summoning a meeting for all the Jounin… Kazuya, look out!" Akira barked. Kazuya ducked just in time to avoid a kunai attack. Akira glared in the direction of the weapon, seeing a couple of the enemy shinobi hopping out of hiding spots, bolting for the hole in the wall to retreat.

"Oh, hell no." He stated and made a few hand signs, gritting his teeth and holding his hands together outwards, parting them slowly to release glowing blue threads that swung outwards, poking holes right through the shinobi and their vital places, killing them instantly.

"Ugh." Akira stumbled lightly in pain, dropping his arms to his sides. Kazuya caught him under the arms, sighing.

"You over did it. We're going to the hospital where you can rest."

"Can't rest now. We have a huge pile of injured shinobi… And a lot of casualties." Akira managed to say, squeezing his eyes shut. Kazuya frowned and looked up. Guy sighed, frowning and looking away.

"He's right… We've lost many brave shinobi in this battle… But we've won." He added, looking at everyone. Kazuya and Akira shared looks, then looked back.

"You mean…?"

"Yes. Kotaro is dead."

**Some Hours Later…**

Konohagakure was quiet now, save for a few buildings that creaked under pressure after so long and collapsed. Roku felt uneasy as he sat with his back to the metal wall of the protective building, others in the room murmuring amongst themselves. Ecchio had fallen asleep, leaning on his shoulder, cuddled up and not making a sound. It was almost hard to hear him breathe.

So many explosions, Roku thought with a cringe. They were loud and shook everything around them. Not to mention, his nose had been burning with Kotaro's powerful chakra scent seeping through the window in the room. However, now it was completely gone, only a soft after scent lingering through the air. He could smell other chakras burning out and it made him hug himself tighter. He could still pick out Ruriko's scent and he recognized Itachi's moving with hers, which provided some comfort.

Within moments, the door to the shelter opened slowly to reveal a sad and grim faced Hokage, her arms folded.

"It's over…" She said softly, "However, many of your homes were destroyed. I apologize for this… Our shinobi are taking it upon themselves to rebuild everything as quickly as possible. Neighboring nations are also coming to assist, so do not be alarmed if you see shinobi from Kirigakure or Sunagakure. Please file from the room slowly and carefully."

Roku was on his feet, jerking Ecchio awake.

"Ow… Is it over?" Ecchio asked sleepily, rubbing his eye. Roku nodded as they walked out behind several other adults. Upon filing out, Roku was surprised to see Kasumi waiting for them outside. Her arm was in a sling and a bandage was against her cheek.

"Roku, Ecchio." She called, waving her good arm. Roku ran over immediately and grabbed onto her leg, looking up at her. Kasumi smiled faintly, patting him.

"Good thing you're awake… This place was worse than it looks now." She said quietly when Roku buried his face against her. Ecchio even looked a bit unnerved, holding onto Roku's arm.

"What now?" He asked. Kasumi glanced around, then smiled at them.

"Roku… There's someone waiting at the hospital to see you." She said. Roku blinked curiously and could only follow as Kasumi led them toward the hospital. Walking down the streets that weren't ruined took some time. Buildings were ruined, bodies piled and covered by heavy tarps to hide both the thick amount of blood and the reeking stench. Many shinobi were already working on putting the village back together, like Humpty Dumpty. Using jutsu and using just plain normal methods, shinobi from many different villages were helping. Roku frowned and held onto Kasumi tighter as they walked. The sight of the hospital was horrendous and Roku was almost afraid Kasumi was going to show him dead people, but the sudden feeling of tranquility settled as they stepped through the busted glass doors. Doctors and nurses, medical shinobi, were rushing everywhere with people in stretchers, some carrying supplies. Kasumi managed to get down a hallway, heading toward a room. Roku prepared himself for the worse, despite the calm feeling of safety. Kasumi pushed open a tarp that was hanging over in place of a door, revealing a familiar someone lying on a bed, complaining.

"This is ridiculous. I'm perfectly fine! Why am I even here?" Ruriko whined, ignoring Itachi's exasperated sighs from a seat beside her bed. Roku's eyes widened.

"Ruriko!" He cried. Ruriko jerked her head up, stopping immediately.

"Roku?" She exclaimed and made a move to escape the bed, but Itachi caught her elbow so she could only sit on the edge. Roku ran over to her and cared not for the bandages or IV bag, jumping into her arms, crying uncontrollably. Ruriko held him close, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, Roku. I'm so glad you're okay." She murmured, kissing him on the head. Roku snuggled close, intent on staying in Ruriko's arms for the rest of the day. Kasumi smiled.

"I thought this would make him happy."

"Thank you, Kasumi! You have no idea!" Ruriko beamed and held onto Roku tighter as he sniffled and hiccupped past his tears. Ecchio smiled shyly, but stayed at Kasumi's side to watch from afar. He knew Roku wasn't sad, but just really, really happy.

"Looks like I should go," Kasumi sighed after a while, glancing at the clock, "Akira wants me to visit him too, although, he'd probably rather be healing everyone. See ya later!"

"Bye." She shut the door, taking Ecchio with her as she went down the hallway. In the room, Ruriko finally leaned back to hold Roku in her lap as he cuddled closer.

"He really missed you." Itachi commented quietly, smiling lightly. Ruriko smiled.

"Yea. I missed him too." She murmured. Roku beamed up at her.

"I missed you both, a lot." He said. Ruriko blinked.

"You…!"

"Nero." Roku replied to Ruriko's completely surprise. Ruriko grinned.

"Remind me to thank him for teaching you some things." She replied. Roku smiled back, then stayed close to Ruriko in her arms, drifting off to sleep. Itachi smiled faintly.

"I'm glad he's learning… Anyway, I should probably go." He was getting to his feet. Ruriko looked up, frowning.

"Where are you going?" She asked. Itachi paused, shrugging lightly.

"I don't know. Maybe to go find Sasuke. Maybe put the sign back by that room… Maybe out of the village." He answered. Ruriko bit into her lip, tightening her grip on Roku.

"Itachi, stay here… You don't have to leave. Even if they recognized you and wanted to arrest you, they wouldn't have any way to. Your criminal status was destroyed from their Bingo Book. Not to mention, you just helped save the village. The least they can do is allow you to live here." She insisted. Itachi blinked and looked at her.

"Live here?" He asked. Ruriko nodded.

"Yea. I mean… Why not? The village needs help rebuilding. It needs more people."

"…" Itachi averted his eyes out the window thoughtfully before he smiled lightly, closing his eyes.

"I've never once had a thought of living in Konohagakure once again." He murmured and took a seat again. Ruriko smiled.

"It'll be fun. I'm even staying… I may not be from Konoha, but it's like I said. They need more people, more help. I'll gladly stay in Konohagakure." She replied, holding Roku closer as he shifted in her arms.

"Besides… I still have to rematch Osamu." She stated confidently. Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"That boy who came in earlier?"

"Yup. He's the jackass I swore to rematch one day and I'm gonna do it. Even more now that he's saved my life."

"Is that how they thank people nowadays?" Itachi asked himself, shrugging. Ruriko laughed, then looked up as she heard footsteps moving toward the dark, a shadow standing. Roku immediately woke up and made a face.

"Icky." He said. Ruriko looked at him, then at the tarp as Sasuke walked in, all covered in blood, but no more wounds than he had when Ruriko last saw him. Blood was leaking from his eyes, though, at a dangerous rate.

"Sasuke." She managed. Itachi frowned and was on his feet.

"Where were you?" He asked. Sasuke looked at him tiredly.

"Thinking," He murmured, his voice no longer rude and sharp, "I had to think… Sorry I didn't show up until now. It was hard to get out of where I was."

"Which was?" Itachi asked. Sasuke huffed lightly, taking a few slow steps over to the end of the bed.

"Underground… Somewhere just outside of Konohagakure… Someone, uh, chased me out there… It's no big deal, brother." He replied calmly. Itachi blinked, probably more surprised at being called 'brother' than hearing that someone 'chased' Sasuke anywhere.

"Did you…?" Ruriko's voice trailed as she looked at Sasuke, who locked his eyes on hers.

"Possibly," He answered flatly, then frowned at the sight of Roku, who glared at him in return, "Him again. So he really is alive." Roku stuck out his tongue and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Ruriko smirked and covered Roku's mouth, kissing him on the head before looking up.

"Then go get a doctor. You look like you were just run down by a stampede of elephants." Ruriko commanded. Sasuke gave her an almost comical deadpan expression.

"That's for the comparison, but I still have one thing left to do. I came to get Itachi for it." He said. Itachi frowned. Ruriko did too, tensing up.

"For?" She asked.

"Don't get overprotective," Sasuke snapped, then calmed down immediately, "It's not what you're thinking. Far from it… I was going to ask if we could visit a special place."

Itachi's expression grew calm and almost sad as he nodded his head, glancing at Ruriko.

"I promise to come back…" He told her before leaving the room with Sasuke. Ruriko frowned after them. Roku whined and pulled on Ruriko's loose hair.

"Where Sasuke go…? With Itachi?" He asked, confused. Ruriko sighed, brushing the hair from his face, wiping dirt smudges from it.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it… Itachi promised, so he'll be back. How've you been without me, Roku?"

**Meanwhile…**

"Sorry if this unnerves you." Sasuke muttered as they stepped into the cemetery, which was one of the few spared places. Headstones stuck up from the green grass, reflecting the sunlight, which hovered over the village past the gray clouds that were remaining from the darkness. Itachi said nothing, following his brother through the stone paths that led through the sanctuary of the dead. His eyes floated over a few graves, many of which he recognized from long ago before he looked away to watch Sasuke.

The younger Uchiha's eyes were tired and almost sad, his body still bloodied. The dried blood leaking from his eyes was falling away slowly every time he blinked, his eyes scanning the headstones. They went through an arch way into another area of the cemetery.

They stopped before a pair of headstones, saying nothing. Itachi looked at the names engraved on the stone before glancing at Sasuke out the corner of his eye. No sadness was on his face now, but nostalgia definitely was.

"My feet hurt." Sasuke said at last. Itachi looked the other way.

"Sit." He replied and took a seat right where he stood. Sasuke eventually followed, leaning back on his hands. They sat in a long silence, neither speaking. Sasuke's eyes seemed to be reading and rereading the headstones. Itachi didn't feel like staring at the two headstones and instead let his eyes lift to stare at the many that sat just beyond it, reading the names on all the others, but he didn't read them all. They were almost all the same.

Uchiha. Uchiha. Uchiha. Uchiha.

"So," Sasuke murmured at last, making Itachi glance at him for a split second before looking back with tired eyes, "It's just you, Koyuki, and I."

"… And the child that Sakura is carrying." Itachi replied softly. Sasuke looked up at him, staring.

"She's really pregnant?" He asked. Itachi nodded.

"I saw her before you came. She entered the room to talk to Ruriko… She's nice."

"… Yea… I guess…"

"She didn't seem scared, about carrying your child."

"I guess not…"

"Seems the clan is going to revive again." Itachi seemed to a bit disappointed. Sasuke glanced at him, then back and snorted.

"The clan… Yes, it's coming back, but this generation won't be like ours… My kid isn't going to be trained in the art of killing. He's going to be a shinobi. A Konoha shinobi and he's going to defend, not attack mindlessly." He answered. Itachi looked at him and smiled faintly.

"Hiding the Uchiha secret?"

"Hiding… I'm burying it."

"Good… I'm happy."

"Me too… And hungry." Sasuke added with a sigh, tilting his head as he stared at the headstones. Itachi laughed quietly, leaning back on his hands. He tilted his head as well, staring in the same direction Sasuke was.

"… How about some tomato sandwiches when we get back?" He asked, glancing at him. Sasuke looked up at him. His eyes seemed to glow before he smiled. Not a tired smile, not a sad smile, not an angry smile.

A real smile crossed the face of Uchiha Sasuke as he looked back at the headstones.

"Yea. That sounds great."

**Konohagakure Hospital…**

"This hospital is so small," Akira sighed, frowning as he scanned his room over before looking back at Kasumi, who rolled her eyes, smirking, "As soon as I'm back, I'm going to help make this hospital bigger… And I'm going to stay here." Kasumi looked at him, her expression perplexed.

"Akira…" She murmured. Akira smiled at her.

"I want to stay and help. I want to help educate the next generation and I want to help them grow strong, strong so that this same thing won't happen again. Wanna help?" He asked. Kasumi smiled slowly, leaning on her elbows on the bed.

"Yes." She replied. Akira leaned in, putting an arm around her and kissing her warmly on the forehead before kissing her on the lips. He was pleased to find that he wasn't smacked for it either.

"Excellent." He said against her lips, smiling. Kasumi smirked, then looked up as Kazuya walked in with a smile.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" He asked. Kasumi blushed red and Akira looked up, laughing.

"Hey, Kazuya. Was just talking here… About staying in Konohagakure." He added, waiting for Kazuya's reaction. Kazuya blinked, then chuckled.

"Is that so? Ruriko said the same thing…"

"Really?" Akira and Kasumi asked in unison, staring at him in surprise. Kazuya nodded and sat at the edge of the bed, folding his arms over his chest.

"I think it's great. I'm proud. Of you, Ruriko, you as well Kasumi. I've met a lot of shinobi here and they're all very powerful, very willing to protect their village. I'm proud that there are people out there like that. Show our next generation what a real shinobi is…."

**Days Later…**

"Show our next generation what a real shinobi is," Tsunade announced, spreading her arms, "You skills revealed in the previous battle were outstanding and I have made many promotions! I am proud to be called the Fifth Hokage! I am proud to have voted for the next candidate for Sixth Hokage! You've all fought well and you will all have stories to tell your children, your grandchildren, and years to come! Because you are Konohagakure shinobi and you have the will of fire!"

Civilians and younger shinobi cheered as Tsunade looked over them, slamming her hands on the railing that separate her from falling over on her face from the roof of her building. Shizune beamed, clapping her hands as TonTon oinked, running around her ankles happily.

"Who did she vote for Sixth Hokage?" Naruto cried, flailing as he stood on the roof of a newly built building. Sasuke, who was standing beside him, rolled his eyes.

"You dumbass, she's talking about you!" He snapped, smacking him over the head. Naruto yelped, then stared.

"S-S-Seriously…? NO WAY!" He yelled, a confident grin spreading across his face and tears welling happily in his eyes. Sakura, who stood at Sasuke's side, holding her arms in front of her, smiled a bit.

"It's your dream, Naruto. You finally reached it, proving everyone wrong." She said, elbowing Sasuke in the process. Sasuke huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yea, but don't get cocky- NARUTO!" He snapped as Naruto leapt into the air, punching it with a fist.

"YES! HA! BEAT THAT! I'M GOING TO BECOME THE SIXTH HOKAGE! IN YOUR FACE, SASUKE! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!" Naruto whooped at the top of his lungs, making the crowd below turn to stare at him. Tsunade chuckled, leaning back as she put her hands on her hips.

"Heheh…"

"He's sure happy." Shizune giggled, beaming.

"My gods," Ruriko muttered as she leaned out the hospital window on her elbow nearby, cocking a brow, "I can hear that kid from here… No wonder his voice is getting raspy."

Behind her, Itachi leaned on the edge of the hospital bed, the blood cleaned up and a green flak jacket adoring his uniform.

"He's happy… Don't worry. I'm sure he'll just start running around to spread the news." He answered, standing up. Ruriko leaned back in through the window, glancing at him with a smirk.

"Good news? I think I've forgotten already." She sighed, shrugging with a smirk. Itachi shook his head. Peeking out the window, Roku beamed, giggling at Naruto's reaction to the Hokage's speech.

"Naruto's funny… He would be a good Hokage." He said, glancing up at Ruriko, who huffed.

"Oh, we'll just see about that… He's such a knucklehead. It's any wonder he's not dead." She replied, folding her arms over her chest.

In the crowd below, Kakashi glanced up at Naruto, chuckling. For once, there was no book in his hand and his headband didn't cover his Sharingan eye. Kurenai, holding her round belly, was laughing as Asuma held her head, smoking his cigarette and chuckling.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Guy and Lee yelled at once, flashing the whooping blonde thumbs up. Iruka was smiling widely and proudly, his arms folded over his chest.

"I knew he'd make it…" He said. Kakashi glanced at him.

"You were right in thinking so. Although, I had always had this sliver of doubt, your judgment is flawless, Iruka." He sighed. Iruka beamed. Neji and TenTen shared looks, but they were smirking. Who wouldn't be laughing at such a fool who leapt up and shouted out that he was voted for Sixth Hokage?

"I'll vote for you too, Naruto!" Kiba yelled from the crowd, Akamaru barking and letting it echo through the village.

"Same here! Go Naruto!" Choji shouted, smirking as he flicked the last of his chips into his mouth.

"I can't believe it." Ino stated, but she was laughing anyway. Hinata beamed up at Naruto, a deep blush warming her face in pride. Shino stood beside her, chuckling softly.

"What a knucklehead." He said quietly. Shikamaru glanced up past the sun, holding a hand over his eyes to block the sun.

"Is that the sun or is that just him?" He asked sarcastically, smirking.

"I'm definitely voting for Naruto!" Daisuke agreed, laughing.

"Looks like he'll be Sixth Hokage no matter what." Sora said with a smile. Mai looked up.

"I suppose so." She murmured in agreement, smiling faintly.

"He's so obnoxious… And lucky." Ayaka commented, putting her hands on her hips. Honoka laughed quietly.

"He'll make a good Hokage." She replied, tilting her head. Ryuuko nodded.

"Agreed." He said. Mayu laughed.

"He'll be as great as his father." She agreed with a smile.

"Sixth Hokage, huh?" Kin mused, taking the senbon from past his lips, cocking his head to get a better view of Naruto jumping up and down, screaming it at the top of his lungs, while his teammates rolled their eyes.

"And to think he was a Genin only a short time ago." Genma murmured, smirking.

"It's about time someone made his dream come true." Kasumi smiled as Akira nodded beside her, his arms folded. Kai sighed.

"And his ego's going to get so high, he'll reach the gods." He mused. Koyuki chuckled, her hands on her hips.

"As it should." She proclaimed. The crowd below cheered louder, joining in Kiba, Choji, and Daisuke.

"Way to go, Naruto!"

"Sixth Hokage! BELIEVE IT!" Some people yelled jokingly. Naruto did a little dance on the rooftop, thrusting his fingers in the air.

"I did it! I did it! HA! In your damn face, Uchiha! IN YOUR DAMN FACE!" He yelled. Sasuke's eye twitched.

"If you don't stop…" He started, but Sakura laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling weakly.

"As obnoxious as it may be, just let him continue." She said softly. Sasuke sighed, but could only glare with a slight smirk as Naruto jumped around.

"SIXTH HOKAGE, DAD! YOU HEAR THAT? I'M THE SIXTH HOKAGE! MOM, CAN YOU SEE ME? SIXTH HOKAGE!"

**Months Later…**

The sun cast a warming glow upon Konohagakure, like the warm touch of a true heaven as down below, civilians moved about their daily lives. Shinobi dotted the village, some leaving on missions, others still working on homes or buildings, still ruined from the war several months previous.

The hospital was especially in attention that warm, lovely May 6th. Brilliant rays of light shown through a particular window, where a baby's cry could be heard. Haruno Sakura lay in the hospital bed, sweat dotting her face as she held a small bundle of blue blankets and a weeping newborn.

"He's beautiful…" Sakura murmured, smiling warmly down at the crying baby. She stroked his soft little cheek slowly, the baby's cries subsiding slowly. Beside her, Sasuke was peering down, a bit more curiously than anything.

"He's small…" He commented. Sakura laughed.

"He's a baby."

"I know that!"

"Ssh, here, hold him."

"What?" Sasuke looked a bit horrified at being asked to hold the newborn, making the few people in the room laugh quietly amongst themselves. In the room, Itachi stood near the door, leaning against the wall as he watched from afar. Ruriko stood beside him, her arms folded behind her as she snickered at Sasuke's reaction. Naruto was trying not to burst out laughing as Kakashi patted him on the back to calm him down. Koyuki smirked, tilting her head.

"That isn't like you to be scared, especially of a baby, Sasuke." She dared to tease, earning a frustrated scowl from her cousin before he took the baby in his arms, looking at it a bit confused.

"I think I just broke it." He stated, noticing how it went silent to stare at him with wide blue eyes.

"It's not broken, dummy. It's not a toy." Ruriko retorted, folding her arms over her chest.

"She's right, Sasuke," Kakashi pointed out, "He probably just likes you."

"What's his name?" Naruto asked eagerly, peeking around the bed to get a view of the child, a grin on his face. Sasuke looked at the baby quietly with his eyelids half shut in thought. Sakura smiled, looking at Sasuke expectantly. Sasuke closed his eyes and nodded, looking up.

"His name is Shisui." He stated, his eyes glancing toward Koyuki, who blinked in surprise, then toward Itachi, who smiled at him approvingly. Sakura beamed.

"That's perfect." She agreed, taking the baby as Sasuke handed it back.

"Good choice." Kakashi commented, closing his eye in a smile as he recognized the name immediately. Ruriko smiled, but said nothing before turning to Itachi as people starting conversing.

"He's a cute baby, right?" She asked. Itachi nodded.

"Yes."

"You're an uncle now, how does that feel?"

"Good… Fine… We should go and let her have some space. She's exhausted." Itachi pointed out, making Ruriko nod. They gave the new parents a congratulations and farewell before walking out of the room of the hospital, heading for the exit.

"What now? Bad guy's dead, we're happy in Konohagakure, your clan seems to be upping up some notches. Any plans?" Ruriko asked. Itachi's eyes seemed to follow the hallway.

"I'm not sure. I may have been made a Jounin, but the Hokage doesn't trust me. There's little I can do right now, but stay in the village and try to remain neutral." He replied, his shoes scuffing on the hall floors. Ruriko's boots clomped as she sighed, averting her eyes.

"I see."

"Have you been looking for an apartment yet?" Itachi asked. Ruriko looked away, touching her fingertips to her lower lip as she blushed.

"Uh, not quite… Well, I mean, yes, but no. Most of the apartments just don't seem to please me. They're either too small or too big."

"I see. Are you taking Roku with you?"

"Hm? Oh, no. Actually, I let Roku stick with Akira and Kasumi for a little while. He's a bit upset about it, but he'll get over it. He knows I don't have any money or place for him…" Ruriko sighed, running a hand through her loose hair. Itachi glanced at her, then back up ahead as they walked down the large staircase that led toward the bottom floor.

"I see… So that means you're not busy tonight then?" He asked. Ruriko blinked and looked up.

"Ah, no, not really. I was probably just gonna go out and window-shop… What did you have in mind?"

"Your brother, Akira, mentioned that you liked sushi. They have a new shop down the road from here and I figured you'd want to go."

"Really? Wait, when did you talk to Akira?" Ruriko asked, perplexed. Itachi averted his eyes.

"I bumped into him in town this morning… He sort of went into a babble, mentioning something about how you enjoy sushi."

"That's weird… But yes, I'd love to come." Ruriko smiled. Itachi nodded, glancing up at the clock that had been recently built into the front of the hospital.

"I'll meet you here at eight…" He said. Ruriko nodded.

"All right. See ya then!" She waved as Itachi nodded, turning and heading off toward the Uchiha Complex area. Ruriko turned the other way, sighing as her boots kicking up some loose stones.

"I could so go for some sushi…" She muttered, looking up in time to see Osamu walking down the street with Kin and Daisuke. They were going on about something that had happened at the north gates.

"Hey, kids," She greeted, ignoring Osamu scowl and Kin's exasperated sigh, "Whatchya talking about?" Osamu huffed, folding his arms over his chest, but frowned.

"You didn't hear? Hn, I take it you were with the rest of 'em and the new baby… Someone broke into the information building, the one that used to be the police station for the Uchiha Clan." He informed. Ruriko blinked, stiffening.

"You're kidding me." She stated. Kin shook his head and tilted it to the side.

"Nope. The only way they know is because everything was torn apart and knocked all over the place, the front doors blown off the hinges. No fingerprints or anything." He replied.

"Which sucks," Daisuke muttered, "Without fingerprints or any other evidence behind, the Hokage dismissed it and sent some shinobi over to Sunagakure to pick up some of their files." Ruriko's eyes shot wide open.

"What?" She demanded.

"What's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost." Osamu commented, cocking a brow. Ruriko clenched her fists, frowning.

"I did. The building is in the same area as before right?" She asked.

"Well, yea-"

"How long ago did Tsunade send the shinobi for the information? Who did she send? When will they be back?" Ruriko demanded. The boys stared at her.

"What's with the third degree? We didn't do anything." Daisuke protested.

"Yea, really." Kin agreed with a huff. Osamu rolled his eyes.

"She sent them out a couple hours ago. I think she sent Guy and his squad. It takes two days for THAT team to reach Suna, two days to come back. They'll probably be back in about four days. Why?" He asked. Ruriko frowned thoughtfully.

_Shit, shit, shit! Sunagakure's files are no different from Konohagakure's old files. If they bring back Sunagakure's files, they'll have the right to arrest Itachi as he's listed as an S-ranked criminal. The same goes for Sasuke._ She thought with a flinch.

"Ruriko~ Hello, is anyone home?" Osamu called and tapped his knuckles on the side of her head. Ruriko blinked, then laughed a little.

"Ah, sorry, guys. I just got distracted… That's really creepy. No traces at all?" She asked to be sure. Daisuke nodded, folding his arms over his chest with a dramatic sigh.

"The interrogation squad was sent to check things out a little bit, but we couldn't find anything. They wanted to call in Sasuke and Itachi, but, of course…" His voice drifted as he averted his eyes. Ruriko rolled hers, huffing.

"That's ridiculous. Sasuke and Itachi aren't criminals. Tsunade is being completely unfair as well as some of the other shinobi, who need to understand that." She responded in annoyance.

"They may have helped the village during the war, but it's just not enough for some people… And some people are demanding why their files say they're not criminals." Daisuke added, then averted his eyes quickly when Ruriko glared at him.

"What?" She demanded. Kin looked upwards to avoid her glare and Osamu looked the other way, frowning.

"Oh, please. Why would I waste my time with criminals?" She demanded.

"Good question." Osamu mused, referring to the events prior to the war. Ruriko flinched, then scowled.

"It wasn't my fault… I was forced to help Sasuke because of a deal I made with him to escape Orochimaru. Don't assume I'd involve myself with criminals. They're just a bunch of no good dirty rotten parasites." She retorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"Harsh." Osamu stated. Kin smirked lightly, then looked at Ruriko."Didn't they say something about you hanging around that place during the war, though? Tsunade mentioned something like that… But I'm not sure." He added, averting his eyes and sticking his senbon back in his mouth. Daisuke laughed a bit nervously.

"Yeaaaa… She said that just seconds before the war started, you were in the building, looking for a file on Kotaro." He mused. Ruriko's eyes glowed.

"If someone is suggesting that I had something to do with it, you're wrong. For your information, I wasn't the only one in there. I was attacked by one of… Kotaro's… Subordinates…" Her voice trailed, her eyes widening. Her mind flickered back quickly to when Kage had attacked her in the library, then back when Osamu had fought him.

_No way… He couldn't have survived… Osamu's jutsu was way too bright, way too strong… It should have caused him to disperse, into pieces, gone, forever… Or did he have some ace up his sleeve? Something's not right…_ She thought.

"… Fine, all right? Don't worry about it. Obviously it's some loser- Ruriko!" Osamu protested, but he was shoved to the side as Ruriko bolted past them.

"Where the hell is she going?" Osamu demanded, putting a hand on his hip.

"Something about the library?" Daisuke asked, shrugging.

"She looked freaked out." Kim commented. Meanwhile, Ruriko ran down the street, pushing up off the ground before she hopped over the rooftops toward the Uchiha police building. She landed just outside the busted doors to see police tape covering the front of the building. She frowned and stepped forward, ducking under the yellow tape and stepping inside. The light bulbs were all busted. The brand new desks at the front were smashed to splinters, the floor dented inwards and cracked.

Ruriko walked forward, her eyes scanning the doors that were all blown off their hinges before she came to the end, the door to the library, which was smashed to bits. She stepped over the police tape there and walked in. The shelves were all blown over and knocked about. Files and papers, books and scrolls were scattered all about like a tornado had come through. Ruriko reached out to turn on the lights, but the light switch was smashed into the wall and the light bulbs busted.

_It's just getting more suspiciously like Kage…_ She thought, frowning. She made a few hand signs, forming an orb of steady electricity in the palm of her hand. She looked around, careful to step over objects and papers. She nudged things aside to make space before stopping in a certain aisle. She frowned and bent down, digging through the papers.

_K… The Kuromura's family file is gone. Kotaro's, Kotori's… It should've been in this area… Maybe they're somewhere around here…_ She wandered, standing back up and walking down the aisle. She raised the orb, her eyes scanning the room. A few standing shelves still had files sticking out of them. She walked toward them and stopped just in front of the U aisle. She took her time looking around to find that the boys had been right.

In fact…

All the Uchiha files were missing on every single member as well as the Uzumaki files.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Okay, the war with Kotaro is over. I was going to make it longer, but it seemed okay from what I could see. I thought it was good to end it with the Naruto thing. :) And I'm sticking in a quick short bit after the war as you can read, but it's not that long. Only a couple chapters. Afterwards, I will put the credits and begin Part III! Well, thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	46. Chapter 46

_UPDATE! YAY. :D_

_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, save for the following:_

_Tsukuyomi Clan_

_Inuke_

_Niku_

_Nero_

_Roku_

_A/N: THIRD POV~_

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_**Chapter Forty-Six: The Case Gets Worse. Mysterious Memories!**_

_Where the hell are those files? Who could have taken them? Kage couldn't have done this… He died… Osamu killed him. Osamu said he saw him vanish in the flames… Kotaro's dead… Madara? No. I may have only met him once, but just from that meeting, I can tell he's a player of chess, not the king or the knight. Maybe he sent someone to do it? Why would he do that?_ Ruriko wondered as she scanned the rest of the files in the room before she left, due to the time. Maybe she could ask Itachi. He was definitely more knowledgeable.

Ruriko walked out, frowning as she headed toward the hospital, the sky deep blue as nighttime crawled around. She listened to her boots scuff the dirt as she tried to think. Her only suspects were Kage and Madara, although, one was dead and one was too good to steal… Or so it seemed.

If Madara had done it, he had to have a highly skilled shinobi do it under his orders, but who? That would peak suspicion of many people… _This is pointless. I have to stop thinking about this alone. I need Itachi's help._ She decided and ran to the hospital as fast as she could. She glanced at the clock to see it read 7:55 p.m. She frowned, sighing.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked. Ruriko jumped and looked up to see Itachi walking up to her.

"You're early." Ruriko commented. Itachi shrugged, glancing at the clock.

"By five minutes." He replied. Ruriko sighed, but they started to walk together toward the sushi shop.

"You looked worried… I take it you heard about the break in." Itachi murmured. Ruriko blinked, then nodded.

"Yea, I went over there and looked around… The place is ruined, but they told me only your's and Sasuke's files were the only ones missing. That's not true. The Kuromura clan and the Uzumaki clan are also missing. The more I dug around, the more I noticed that major clan files were missing. Their Bingo Book is even gone." She explained.

"Tell me all the files that were missing. Specifically."

"Uchiha, Uzumaki, Kuromura, Naara, Saki, Tsukuyomi, and… One that I haven't heard of called Senju." Ruriko replied. Itachi blinked.

"Senju? That clan is old… I don't even know if there are any real survivors, unless you want to count Tsunade as the first Hokage, Hashirama, was her grandfather."

"Senju Hashirama? That was his name?"

"Yes. He was the one that supposedly killed Madara, but that's obviously not true." Itachi sighed, exasperated. Ruriko shook her head, looking down at her feet, frowning at Madara's name being mentioned before she looked up at him.

"I've been thinking about this. The crime scene was completely blank. The only remains were the torn apart rooms and scattered files. There are no fingerprints, as Daisuke had mentioned to me. There's no trace of anyone, except for the mess. I can only think of two people with that capability, but there's flaws in both of my suspects."

"It's worth a shot."

"All right. Ikiteiru Kage, the guy who attacked me in that library of files. He's made purely of shadows, probably an experiment of Orochimaru's. He was very loyal to Kotaro, almost obsessed with serving everything Kotaro did. The flaw in my suspicions for him is that Osamu killed him. I was injured and Osamu took me away, attacking Kage with a fire jutsu. Bright light is Kage's weakness and that jutsu hit him dead on, causing him to disperse and completely vanish."

"I see… And the other?"

"Madara," Ruriko stated, making Itachi visibly wince, "Sorry, but he popped into my mind next. Although, it may not have been Madara personally as he came off as the type of man to send other people to do his bidding. He obviously must have hired a skilled person to infiltrate, but the flaw is that there is no one willing to become a loyal pawn to Madara. Even so, they would have left behind some kind of evidence, even jutsu that was used, but there was nothing. The method can't even be determined."

"That's odd," Itachi murmured, "I've known Madara for an incredibly long time. I'm certain he wouldn't go to such lengths as to hire someone powerful enough. He'd easily trap a shinobi and suck out their information… Not to mention, he'd never get close to Konohagakure. He's got a pet peeve for it."

"Funny how he kept complimenting it when we talked."

"As much as he dislikes it, even he can't deny its strength… And this other guy, Kage. I don't know anything about him."

"All I know is that he's a living shadow. He was serious about serving Kotaro. I said one bad thing about his loyalty and he attacks me. He broke his stoic façade to scream and attack me. He's obviously very loyal, claiming to live only for the purpose of serving Kotaro… But now that his master is dead…" Ruriko's voice drifted. Itachi frowned.

"This is harder to solve than I thought…" He murmured in response, looking down at his feet before they went to the sushi shop. They were silent now, thinking hard as they ate, Ruriko ordering makizushi and Itachi simple onigiri.

"How old is Kage?" Itachi asked. Ruriko frowned.

"Nineteen from what I gathered… I think he should be twenty by now, though. He hasn't aged at all, though. He actually looks a bit younger than nineteen appearance wise, but his height is average. His hair is a blackish gray, his eyes smoky."

"Judging by your use of present tense, you must have strong feelings that its him."

"It has to be. He's a living shadow and uses his own element of jutsu, shadows. He can control them as well as mold with them. You can't sense his chakra either. Even Karin couldn't find it and she has this special ability to sense chakra. Roku couldn't even sniff it out. He's dangerous with his hunting ability. He told me that he had attached himself to my shadow ever since I stumbled on him and Kotaro, walking toward Uzushigakure."

"He's good with tracking, hiding himself, his jutsu… He sounds talented. Your confidence in his survival is right… Are you going to tell the Hokage?" Itachi asked, taking a bite of his meal. Ruriko stopped, her chopsticks close to her mouth with her food in between them.

"I don't know… It's not so much the fact that an enemy is still alive from the attack and not in prison, like Kaede and Gatsuki, but that they'll find out about you and Sasuke. I'm suspected of my actions of wiping your files… When Guy's team comes back, I need to catch them and fast so I can change the files they're retrieving from Sunagakure…"

"You're pretty intent on keeping Sasuke and I here. Should I feel like a prison inmate?" Itachi asked, tilting his head. Ruriko blushed, stuffing her food in her mouth and averting her eyes.

"Hmph… Mm mm." She hummed past the food in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before huffing. Itachi smiled and looked down at his unfinished meal.

"I see…" He murmured and picked up his onigiri, finishing it off. Ruriko ate a bit slower, savoring every bite of the meal, but glancing up every so often to look at Itachi. His expression was casually placid before he closed his eyes to sit back comfortably. Ruriko smiled to herself as she went to take another bite when she felt it. The hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She glanced over her shoulder sharply, to find that no one was there. Nothing but the shadows of the night, some cast from the lanterns hanging from shops.

"Ugh," Ruriko muttered, turning back to frown at her meal, "I'm becoming paranoid…"

"You're afraid he's hiding in your shadow again?" Itachi questioned. Ruriko gave a nod, glancing down at her shadow sitting in the chair, mimicking her movements. Itachi glanced at the shadows, then back up at his meal.

"It's too bad all this stress is hovering like a dark cloud around you…" He sighed, making Ruriko look up.

"Hm?"

"I was hoping to have a relaxed meal with you. Actually talk, but if there's stress lingering like this, it's best we focused on it-"

"How old are you?" Ruriko cut in. Itachi blinked and stared at her for a moment before shrugging.

"Twenty-one."

"What do you hate?"

"… Is this twenty questions?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow. Ruriko smiled, trying to relax as she folded one leg over the other, leaning back as she rested her arms on the arms of the metal chair.

"You're twenty-one, so it's twenty-one questions."

"That's not fair if you're sixteen. I only get to ask you that many questions?"

"I'll lie for now and say I'm twenty-one." Ruriko replied with a huff. Itachi sweat dropped, for some showing a comical expression as he pointed at her.

"Aren't you a tad bit short to be claiming you're twenty-one?" He asked. Ruriko twitched and flung a finger in his direction.

"Oh, be quiet! Just you wait, I'll get taller! My mother was five foot nine. I bet you a three hundred ryo that I'll be that tall by the time I'm an adult. Now answer my question, what do you hate?" She asked. Itachi paused, studying her face before he relaxed in his seat, leaning his head on his hand, his elbow propped up on one of the arms of the chair.

"Fighting. What was your mother's name?" He asked. Ruriko blinked, shifted a little, then averted her eyes.

"Kishiko. Tsukuyomi Kishiko… Why do you hate fighting?"

"It's barbaric. Pointless. What's one thing you remember about your parents?"

"… My mom and dad took my brothers and I to see some kind of festival in the village, I think it might have been for the Kazekage's birthday, but I can't be sure. It was really cool because there were tons of red lanterns. Hioshi kept saying it was like a bunch of blood, being the pessimistic brat he was. He started a fight with Akira, who claimed they weren't buckets of blood, but roses. My dad had to break them up, telling them they were both wrong. My mom, Kazuya, and I were the ones mostly enjoying the festival. Hioshi and Akira were always arguing. They don't do it anymore- Ack, sorry, I got carried away." Ruriko laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. Itachi smiled.

"It's fine…"

"Well, anyway, what-"

"Ruriko! Itachi!" A voice yelled frantically. They looked up as Osamu came running over, kicking up dirt as he ran, skidding to a stop by their table.

"You have to come to the Hokage's office, quick! Someone ransacked Lady Hokage's residence!" He announced. Itachi and Ruriko shared quick looks before throwing money on the table, bolting after Osamu as they all ran to the Hokage's residence. It was evident someone had broken in right away as windows were busted from their places. Nail marks were cut deep into the building, foul words scrawled into the wood and cement. The front doors were blown off its hinges.

Running inside, the real damage was seen. The sofas in the lobby were shredded open and busted in half, the walls scratched up as if an animal had come in and torn the place apart, glasses scattered everywhere. Itachi and Ruriko shared looks, then followed Osamu up the stairs to find the Hokage standing outside her room, her fists clenched.

"Damn it…! I leave for one FUCKING hour and this has to happen? What the fuck do you think I hired you for?" She yelled at the Anbu angrily, her fists clenched. Shizune winced, watching the Anbu cringe under Tsunade's glare. Tsunade spun around as she heard the others approach.

"It's about time," She muttered, then flung a finger in the direction of her office, "Investigate. The room is completely in dishevel, but the only thing missing is the mission report from Guy as well as a file on the events of the war. The Uchiha clan used to be part of the police force, which is why I called on you, Itachi. You should have some skill in it. Ruriko, you're a criminal information ninja. You know the drill. Daisuke and the interrogation squad will be here shortly to take a look at it as well."

Itachi and Ruriko shared quick looks before walking into the office, Osamu stopping at the doorframe to stare at the mess in awe. The desk was completely cracked in half, flows of papers and scrolls spilling out from the inside like a donut. Things were torn off the walls, the nails marks also present.

Ruriko stepped over a few scrolls, her eyes wandering. The room was torn up the same way the library had been. She frowned, bending down near the desk to pick up a file, standing back up. The folder was torn open and blood had splattered on the front. She blinked. _No… Kage couldn't have done this. He doesn't bleed._ She thought with a frown.

"Itachi," Ruriko called, glancing up as she watched him scan the busted windows, "Take Kage off our suspect list. It's evident he didn't do this… There's blood and Kage never bled." Itachi frowned and gave a nod before looking back at the window.

"Then what exactly are we dealing with here? The marks on the walls and the edges of the window look a lot like an animal's claws." He commented. Ruriko frowned and looked up at the wall, her eyes scaling the nail marks running down the wood and to the floor. As she looked more closely, that was as it appeared to be. Ruriko set the file down and approached the wall, getting on her hunches.

"It's weird… A animal couldn't have done this on its own… The only one that comes to mind is Kiba, but-"

"But Kiba's way too loyal," Daisuke said, walking into the room, his eyes scanning it up and down, "Kiba's like a dog. He'd do anything for Konohagakure. Akamaru never disobeys his command, so Akamaru's in the same position. Not to mention, Akamaru is way too big to fit inside the doorframes without busting them apart."

Ruriko stood up to look at him, putting a hand on her hip.

"You know him better than I do, so I'll take your word for it. Then how else could this of happened? I'm pretty sure the rest of his clan wouldn't have done it either if they're just a pack of dogs." She stated, folding her arms over her chest. Itachi frowned.

"Have you questioned the Anbu that were on guard?" He asked Daisuke, who shrugged.

"Was just going to, but I heard Ruriko suspecting Kiba, so I had to clear his name." He replied with a grin. Ruriko rolled her eyes. Daisuke called in the Anbu. Three of them had been placed on guard. The first was the captain with a cat mask, the second a bird mask, and the third a clown-like mask.

"All right, three of you were placed on guard-"

"Actually, four." The leader said, folding his arms over his chest. Daisuke frowned.

"Four? Then where's the fourth one?" He asked. Ruriko flinched when the leader coughed and cleared his throat, turning his face the other way.

"He was killed." The bird masked Anbu stated firmly. Itachi glanced around, then back.

"Where was he guarding?" He asked. The bird Anbu pointed a finger out the window.

"He was outside, guarding the window. When the thing came and attacked, it slammed the door shut. We kept trying to get in, but we just heard screaming and the room being torn apart. The door finally blew off the hinges and this huge black mass of fog burst out and tore down the hallway. It was like a huge storm inside the building or something." He explained. Daisuke frowned and glanced at the interrogation officer beside him, who was taking notes, before looking away.

"Who uses that kind of jutsu?" He asked, thinking back. Ruriko stiffened. Itachi blinked and glanced at her sideways, then back at the Anbu.

"Fog, clouds, or a shadowy mix of them both?" He asked. The Anbu captain tilted his head.

"What's the difference?" He demanded. The clown masked Anbu said nothing, but shook his head. The bird masked one sighed.

"It's probably the middle and last ones most of all, now that I think about it. We're not accusing your girlfriend." He said to Itachi, who averted his eyes. Ruriko went red.

"I'm not-"

"That's right," Daisuke snapped his fingers, looking at Ruriko, "You only use one type of water jutsu and that's your dark abyss technique, it also doesn't help that you're still considered a foreigner from Sunagakure. However, our alliance with them is rather strong now… You're also helping with the investigation… Is there anyone else we know that would use that sort of jutsu?"

"What about your family?" The Anbu captain asked. Ruriko twitched and frowned.

"No. Kazuya can only use wind and water, not to mention he's pretty much a pacifist. He's a defense fighter, not an offensive fighter. Akira is at the hospital, assisting Sakura and Sasuke with their medical procedure. He couldn't have done it as he wasn't there at the time. Hioshi is back in Sunagakure, so there's no way he could have done it. He's agoraphobic. And if you're suspecting Nero, take him off your list. Nero doesn't use water style ninjutsu or wind ninjutsu. He uses lightening and fire, which he hardly ever uses as taijutsu is more to his liking. Not to mention, he's been with Botan ever since the war ended- NOT LIKE THAT." She added angrily when she saw the Anbu leader stiffen.

"Anyway," Daisuke said, coughing and clearing his throat awkwardly, "From what I can tell, it seems the nail marks are the only evidence of who it was. If it's not too much to ask, take a sample of any nails that may have been ripped off."

"Got it." Ruriko nodded and went to investigate the nail marks. Itachi joined the search as well. As they scanned the nail marks, there were not bits of nail left. Ruriko came back down from her tip toes as she studied the nail marks by the window before she turned around and bumped into the clown Anbu, making her yelp out loud.

"Ah, sorry about that…" She muttered and brushed by him. The Anbu turned half way around, tilting its head.

"Couldn't find anything?" The bird masked Anbu asked as he walked back into the room.

"No," Ruriko muttered, "There are no signs of any nails being left behind. And now that I look at the marks more closely, it's making me wonder if its just really long, sharp nails or kunai knives." The bird Anbu twitched and ran up to the marks, studying them by pushing his mask up, to reveal curious blue eyes and a beauty mark under his left eye, his skin lightly tanned.

"That's unbelievable! Ugh, it's like this case is purposely escalating… A waste of my time." He dropped his mask, letting his short pale blonde hair loose. Ruriko frowned.

"You're not the least bit concerned that someone's trying to disturb the peace?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow. The guy, who looked just about eighteen, smiled, cocking his head.

"Of course, I care, but I'm not much of a thinker, so I'm getting pissed that my real job is being held off… Kicking the culprit's ass." He sighed. Ruriko smirked.

"What's your name?" She asked. The Anbu beamed, poking his thumb against his chest.

"I'm Inuke. I'm sorta new to all this Anbu business." He replied, holding out a hand. Ruriko smiled and shook his hand before glancing at the marks on the walls.

"Sorry that your job is being held off. My friend and I will try our best to find the culprit and you'll be the first one we tell." She assured. Inuke beamed and he might as well have had a wagging dog tail and perked up doggy ears.

"That's great! Wait, friend? You mean that guy's not your boyfriend?" He asked, confused. Ruriko blushed hotly, biting into her lip.

"Uh, no… We're just friends." She answered. Inuke smiled, tilted his head so his hair went over his face.

"That mean you're available."

"Hey!" Ruriko protested and Inuke snickered, scooping up his mask, placing it back over his face before he made his way out, his shoulder slamming into the clown-masked Anbu, who just reached up to touch it lightly. Ruriko sighed, looking away toward Itachi, who stepped away from the window to look at the Anbu captain, who was watching the scene from his leaned position on the doorframe.

"Not a thing?" The captain asked. Itachi shook his head.

"It's as Ruriko said. The nail marks seem to be kunai marks the closer you look at it, unless something very skilled and very wild with long claws came in, but you said it was a mass of black, correct?" He asked. The captain nodded, then reached up, taking his mask off to run a hand through his navy blue hair that fell loose to his shoulders, his brown eyes looking up.

"This is stressful… Lady Tsunade's furious with us and we couldn't even attack a mass of… Well… Whatever it was. It was like trying to attack smoke." He explained. Ruriko blinked and stared at him.

"Smoke?" She asked. The captain nodded, hooking his mask onto a hook on his right shoulder, connected to his armor.

"Yea. I sent Inuke to chase the thing down, but he went right through the thing. He said it was like trying to grab smoke. It went right through his fingers, but it had the force of a storm." He explained.

"That's unnerving…" Itachi murmured.

"And oddly familiar." Ruriko muttered.

"How so?" The Anbu captain asked. Ruriko frowned, folding her arms over her chest, shifting to her right.

"Every time I fought Kage, a very close subordinate of Kotaro's, I had trouble with it because he was a living shadow. It was like trying to grab smoke, as Inuke told you… The only way I could get him off my back was by showering him with light, but the reason why suspecting him for this case is that he's dead. Osamu used a really powerful fire jutsu to burn him up. Light causes him to practically sparkle before bursting into nothing, but glitter." She informed with a serious expression.

"That sounds odd," The Anbu captain muttered, "Because the lights were on in the hallways and the black mass went for them as soon as it escaped Lady Tsunade's office. It shot straight up and exploded the bulbs." Ruriko blinked.

"Seriously? Are you sure you didn't see the black clouds form into anything?" She asked excitedly, hoping that the case was coming to a close. The Anbu captain shook his head, making Ruriko sigh in exasperation.

"It merely stayed in a large form. It was about the size of Kiba's dog, I'll admit, but as young Daisuke mentioned, Kiba is much too loyal. That is one thing about dogs. They're loyal to their masters." He replied. Ruriko's eyes glowed.

"Say what again?" She asked for confirmation. The captain blinked.

"Dogs are loyal to their masters?" He asked. Ruriko nodded, frowning down at the floor before glancing up.

"What's your name?" She questioned the captain, who stared at her.

"Hm? Uh, Niku, but-"

"All right, thanks, Niku. I owe you one." Ruriko replied, frowning as she went on thinking. Niku sighed, but nodded and pushed off the frame, heading out of the room.

"What was that about?" Itachi asked, glancing at Ruriko, who looked up.

"Dogs are loyal to their masters. Kage is too, remember what I said? I'm beginning to wonder something… Well, several things which probably doesn't help the case come to a close, but at least puts some options out there."

"Anything will work now."

"First off, if Kage's loyal to his master, like a dog, he's got to be working for someone else now. It's obvious that when he was created, he was only loyal to Orochimaru, until he escaped and worked for Kotaro. Now that Kotaro is dead, Kage must have moved onto a different master. That's the first option."

"Okay."

"Second, maybe it's not Kage. Maybe he really is dead. Maybe it's a completely different subordinate of Kotaro's. Quite frankly, a lot of things in this case connect to Kotaro and his army, his plots. Seeing as his clan's files were stolen…"

"And the other files?"

"That leaves me with the third option, but no one specific as a culprit. It's obviously someone who wants you and Sasuke arrested."

"You like a lot of possibilities, even the impossible ones, don't you?" Itachi asked. Ruriko shrugged.

"I'm throwing out my thoughts. You asked… Look, it's getting late. We should probably just head home, er, well, you can head home. I'll just find somewhere to stay."

"Without any money?" Itachi asked. Ruriko sweat dropped before waving a hand idly in her face.

"Oh, please. I'm sure I can find someone who'll let me stay over."

"You can stay at the house I bought." Itachi offered. Ruriko blinked.

"Really?"

"Yea, it's fine. It's probably safer too…"

"Well, if you don't mind…"

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mind."

"Right." They headed for the door, walking down the hallway after biding a farewell to the Anbu team and Lady Tsunade.

"We should probably question Kaede and Gatsuki," Ruriko said suddenly as they walked down the street, "They know Kage better than us and would be able to tell if he did this."

"Would they really? After all, they seemed pretty loyal and they may hold a grudge against you…"

"Oh, please… The interrogation squad probably broke them down. You haven't seen Daisuke at work. We'll drop by there in the morning, remind me because I have terrible memory."

"All right." They walked into the Uchiha Complex area, some of the houses already rebuilt to their original states. Itachi led the way inside a two story, pretty much an empty home.

"There's a guest room upstairs near the end of the hall on the right." He told Ruriko, who was curiously poking around.

"This is a nice place… Was it expensive?"

"Not really, since technically my clan owned it in the first place."

"I see." Ruriko murmured, walking up the stairs. She glanced up and down the halls, listening to Itachi running water downstairs in the kitchen. She walked down the hall, stopping in front of one of the only rooms with something inside. Judging by the state of it, it was probably Itachi's room. She glanced toward the stairs, hearing the water still rushing. She walked into the room.

_Yea, it's nosy to walk into his room after he just offered me to stay here, but I'm too curious. I may be friends with him, but I hardly know a thing about him. And it doesn't seem like he's intent on telling me anything if I ask straight forward._ She thought, more to assure herself as she looked around. A neat bookcase was in the corner near a large wardrobe, which was partially opened to reveal clothing and a familiar black, red clouded cloak. The bed was a neat single mattress on a frame at the center of the room with a nightstand just behind the headboard. A lamp, a scroll, and some spilt pills lay on the nightstand. A door across the room and to the left led to a bathroom.

She walked up to the nightstand, picking up the scroll and scanning it over. She flipped it open to find information on fire style jutsu before she set it down, walking to the bookcase. The books were mostly informational, save for two books on Buddhism and another religion as well as a few novels. She blinked, recognizing an orange book sticking out of the end of the bookcase.

"What the…?" She stared at the odd cover of two figures running before she opened it, her eyes scanning the introduction before moving onto the rest of the book. She glanced around after a bit before taking a seat on the bed.

_This is so weird. I mean, it's great writing, I'll admit. Amazing. Someone's obviously very talented, but why use up all the talent on writing only about __**this**__kind of stuff? I'm surprised Itachi would even have a book like this!_ She thought, crinkling her nose in disgust, but she still didn't bother to set the book down. She fell on her back on the bed, reading slowly.

"Should I lock my door next time?" A voice asked. Ruriko yelped and shot upright, whipping around to see Itachi standing in the doorway.

"S-Sorry! I mean, well, yea, I'm sorry, but…! I can't help it!" She protested. Itachi shrugged lightly and walked in, frowning at the book in her hands.

"You're too young to be reading that." He went to grab it, but Ruriko pulled the book away, cocking a brow at him.

"This is a porn book. What're you of all people doing with it?"

"It's not porn."

"It sure as hell seems like it! Then again, you're a man, what should I expect?"

"That's so stereotypical. Give it here."

"No! I'm not finished reading it."

"You're kidding me. You scold me for having it and you're the one reading it."

"I admire great writing! The only reason I'm reading it is because I want to get tips on my writing style!" Ruriko protested angrily, blushing hotly. Itachi frowned.

"You write that kind of stuff?" He asked, raising an eyebrow almost unbelievably. Ruriko went red now.

"N-No! Never! I meant his style! He's descriptive and-"

"Ruriko, give me the book."

"I said I'm not finished! Calm down, it's not like anyone's going to find out I read it. Besides, I'm sixteen, I can handle it."

"That book is for ages eighteen and up." Itachi stated flatly and went to grab it, but Ruriko fell back on the bed to get away, holding her book up to smirk at the pages, opening her mouth to read it aloud.

"He parted his lips slowly, his breath coming out in hot puffs-"

"Ruriko, don't read that out loud."

"-as he whispered sweet nothings-"

"Ruriko." Itachi commanded and caught the binding of the book, pulling it away. Ruriko yelped and reached up to grab it, but Itachi held the book out of her reach.

"You need sleep," Itachi advised calmly, "There's a bathroom just down the hall by the guest room. Shower and go to bed."

"You're no fun," Ruriko huffed, not moving, "Ah, that's right. It was my turn last time."

"Last time?" Itachi asked, walking to the bookcase and putting the book away with a bit of an exasperated sweat drop. Ruriko folded her legs, leaning back on her elbows as she watched him walk to the wardrobe.

"Yes. Twenty-one questions for you, sixteen questions for me. It was my turn before Osamu showed up."

"You still want to play that game?" Itachi asked with a sigh, taking off his flak jacket. Ruriko watched him before immediately looking away, trying not to blush as her eye twitched.

"Ah, yea~ We're friends and I still don't even know what your favorite color is."

"White," Itachi answered, "My turn." Ruriko twitched.

"Wait a second! That wasn't my question!" She protested, but Itachi gave her a crooked smirk.

"Too late. It was in the form of a question."

"Damn it."

"What exactly do you write in your spare time?" Itachi asked as he hung the flak jacket on a hanger. Ruriko blinked, then threw her head back to get an upside view of outside the window.

"Hmm… Fiction." She answered. Itachi paused, then nodded.

"All right."

"Do you really like living in this big house all by yourself?" Ruriko asked thoughtlessly, sitting up to bring her knees to her chest. Itachi walked to the nightstand, picking up a couple pills and tossing them into his mouth, glancing at her.

"It's all right… Sometimes it's a bit too quiet and unsettling, so I leave to take a walk."

"I see."

"Why do you care?" Itachi asked, looking straight at her with a serious expression. Ruriko's face lit up like a pink light bulb.

"Er… That doesn't count…"

"Yes, it does."

"Oh, fine! Because you're my friend, that's why." Ruriko replied with a huff, closing her eyes and looking away stubbornly. Itachi nodded and went to the bathroom, but left the door opened as he turned on the sink. Ruriko peeked her eyes open, then relaxed.

"What's the best thing you remember about working with Akatsuki?" She asked, tilting her head to get a view of Itachi untying his hair. Itachi paused.

"Hard to tell… Probably the first time I met Kisame."

"Really? Why?"

"It's not your turn."

"Hmph!" Ruriko looked away. Itachi smiled lightly as he set his hair tie down.

"What's your favorite thing about Konohagakure?" He asked, reaching for a shirt that was hanging on a towel rack. Ruriko hummed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hard to pick just one thing… Probably the amount of people? Or maybe the amount of food shops? The nice sights? Or maybe it's just the atmosphere…" She mused.

"Pick one."

"Oh, fine… Probably the fact that I have more friends here than I do back in Sunagakure." Ruriko replied. Itachi nodded, taking off his shirt and replacing it with the black one on the tack before he came back.

"All right. That's enough for today."

"What? No fair! I had a good question!"

"Ask me in the morning, you need sleep."

"Hypocrite."

"I feel like I'm talking to a wall." Itachi sighed, shaking his head as he sat on the edge of the bed, taking off his shoes. Ruriko smirked and came up beside him, tilting her head to look at him, a smile on her face in almost a mischievous manner. Itachi glanced at her out the corner of his eye calmly, but suspiciously.

"What?" He asked. Ruriko shrugged.

"Nothing. You just always have this serious expression on your face. I like it when you smile."

"Uh, thanks… You didn't bother to take your shoes off, did you?"

"Oops… Sorry."

"Come on. Get up and go to bed. It's almost midnight."

"You have a lot of informational books."

"Yea. Ruriko-"

"Mind if I borrow a few? Just read tonight? It takes a while for me to actually fall asleep."

"… If it'll let me sleep, go ahead and take as many as you like." Itachi sighed. Ruriko beamed and hopped off the bed, walking over the bookcase.

"Thaaank you. Sorry if I'm being a pain in the ass. Nighttime is when I usually get hyper…" She said, taking several books into her arms. Itachi watched her with a raised eyebrow.

"Ruriko, put it back."

"What?"

"The book. The one you had earlier. Put it back."

"Aw, come on… Why do you think I took it?" Ruriko asked. Itachi pointed at the pile in her arms.

"It's bright orange. You can't miss it." He stated. Ruriko huffed and took the book out, tossing it onto the bed.

"Fine, fine. There ya go." She retorted and walked out, shutting the door. Itachi sighed, glancing at the book out the corner of his eye before reaching out and picking it up, flipping it open. Kakashi had bought him the book for unknown reasons, but Itachi didn't get past the introduction when he realized what the book was about.

The reason why he picked it back up was Ruriko mentioned the writing style, so he risked taking a peek at the other chapters.

Meanwhile, Ruriko had showered, taken her hair down, and put on a simple t-shirt and sweat pants. She sat on the guest bed, keeping the lamp on the nightstand on as she read through the books. Most of the books had geographical and culture information, one of them being pretty detailed and in-depth of popular cafes. Ruriko yawned quietly, lying back on the bed and holding the book over her head.

One of the cafes had been circled with red pen, a little note beside it saying 'must visit'. It made Ruriko smile. _So he likes cafes… That café does look nice. It's even got a balcony on the second floor outside for dining and- OH MY GODS. They serve makizushi! This place is nice… I should try and get some missions so I can go there, take Itachi with me._ She thought with a smile, then blushed lightly to herself for the thought. She closed her eyes in another yawn when she heard an odd sound.

It sounded like the wind, however, she felt nothing coming from the open window beside her nor did she see the curtains billow. She frowned and set her book down and threw her legs over the side of the bed, standing up and moving toward the door. She opened it slowly, peering out. Nothing was in the hallway, only to the dull gloom of the waning moon outside.

She frowned and went to close the door, stopping when she saw her shadow cast on the floor. She stared at it, leaning her back on the door.

_Am I really paranoid or is Kage really alive and stuck to my shadow? This is driving me nuts! Itachi's right. I just need some sleep…_ She thought, nodding to herself and shutting the door, heading back to her bed. She threw herself down, yawning and pulled the blankets up as she slept with her back to the door.

The sound came again, but Ruriko pulled the pillow over her head to cover her ears. She shut her eyes tightly. _It's nothing. Nothing, nothing… Go to sleep… Go to sleep…_ She willed herself, trying to relax. She felt herself drifting to sleep at last, until she felt something brush against her hand over the pillow. Her eyes shot open and she threw the pillow off her head, across the room as she shot upright in a sitting position. The room was empty, except for the dresser, nightstand, and bed.

Ruriko frowned, clenching the blankets in her fists. She wasn't going to be able to sleep like this. She flung the blankets back and walked to the door, stepping out silently and shutting the door behind her. She moved as quietly as she could past Itachi's room, glancing in to find him fast asleep. She went down the stairs to the kitchen, opening the fridge, sighing with relief when she saw food. Most of it wasn't meat, much to her disappointment, but she settled for a sandwich of tomatoes and lettuce.

She leaned on the counter, looking out the window toward the street, her eyelids heavy with sleep. She settled at the table after she almost nodded off, resting her head on the table. It didn't take long before she fell asleep. It was only a short nap when she awoke to the creaking of the front door opening. She jerked her head up in the darkness, getting to her feet. She rubbed her eye sleepily, walking into the pitch black hallway, going still when she heard something creaking behind her.

She went to whip around, but a hand clamped over her mouth tightly, making her flinch and jerk back against whoever had her. They were obviously very tall and had an odd scent of dirt and rain.

"Ssh," The voice whispered, "I'm not here to hurt you, so don't scream or yell." Ruriko winced as the hand slowly moved away.

"Then why the hell did you just jump me in the dark?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"Because I like scaring you…" The voice drawled and snickered. Ruriko blinked and glared through the dark.

"Who the hell are you?" She demanded.

"You seriously don't recognize my voice, doll face?" The voice asked, perplexed. Ruriko's brows knitted in a concentrated frown before her eyes widened, her arms falling to her side.

"Oh no… You've got to be kidding me." She managed and made a hand sign quickly, swiping up her glowing orb. Standing before her was a rather tall boy with black hair to the nape of his neck, slicked back save for a few strands that hung over his forehead and pale reddish pink eyes. He wore a black jumpsuit, but the torso part was off his tattooed chest, hanging off his waist.

"Hajin?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: ^^ I had to bring Hajin back. :D And yes, he's very tall now compared to how short he was three years ago at the beginning of the series. He WAS about 4 foot 5 then, but he shot up a lot… Like, a lot. xD; Anyway, this is just a couple chapters, so don't be like WHERE'S PART THREE? lol. Well, thanks so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	47. Chapter 47

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ruriko demanded angrily, putting her hand on her hip as she held the glowing orb in the other. Hajin smirked, folding his arms over his chest.

"I came for a visit is all," He replied, giving his head a little tilt before letting his eyes drift over Ruriko from head to toe, "Huh, you're pretty short." Ruriko twitched, a vein pounding in her forehead.

"You little shrimp! How tall are you? What the fuck did you take to make yourself that damn tall?"

"Sssh, calm down. I'm six foot now and I just drank my calcium." Hajin replied with a grin. Ruriko sweat dropped.

"Hmph… Whatever. What the hell are you doing here, shrimp?" She demanded. Hajin sighed, glancing around the darkness of the hallway.

"Let's sit down first. I've been running around all night." He replied. Ruriko rolled her eyes and gestured to the kitchen. They sat at the table, Hajin sighing in relaxation.

"Ahh, this is a nice house. Who's is it?"

"Not mine, shrimp, now shut up and tell me what you're doing back in Konohagakure. I hope you know you're listed as a missing-nin."

"Oh, yea, I know. Did you see my picture in the criminal files, doll face? It was one of the best pics yet."

"Hajin, you were chopping someone's head off."

"Exactly! Wow, you know, I think the only things that grew on you were your mouth and your boobs."

"Shut up, dumbass!" Ruriko snapped angrily, folding her arms tightly over her chest, glaring. Hajin smirked, then sighed, leaning his head onto his hands, his elbows on the table.

"I'm in Konoha doing a bit of digging around for my employer. He wanted information on the war between Konohagakure and Kotaro's army. From the looks of it, you guys beat him." He mused, drumming his fingers on the table now. Ruriko frowned.

"Damn straight… Hajin, were you the one making all that swishing noise?" She asked, leaning back in her chair. Hajin blinked, then grinned, pointing behind her.

"No, he was." He said. Ruriko blinked and whipped around to see a neon green spider with black markings stuck to the counter top. Ruriko stared, then screamed.

"OH MY GODS! YOU JERK! GET RID OF IT! OUT!"

"Hahahaha, you're still scared of spiders." Hajin snickered, snapping his fingers so the spider vanished. Ruriko had already jumped out of her seat, smacking him in the arm.

"Asshole! Jerk! You knew I was terrified of spiders! I'll rip your head off for this!" She snarled angrily. Hajin smirked up at her.

"You're cute when you're mad."

"DIE!"

"What's going on, Ruriko?" Ruriko jumped, jerking her head up to see Itachi standing in the doorway, raising an eyebrow. Hajin frowned, folding his arms on the table. Ruriko sighed.

"I'm sorry, Itachi. I don't know where he came from. He scared the shit outta me, popping up out of nowhere…" She mumbled, averting her eyes.

"And who is he?" Itachi asked.

"His name-"

"Hajin," The spider boy greeted, smirking, "My name is Hajin. You must be Uchiha Itachi. Well, that's one thing you Uchiha have in common. You all look so serious and almost the same." Itachi's eyes flickered.

"Hajin… I remember. Madara mentioned you." He stated. Hajin grinned.

"Excellent. Then there's no need to explain who I am or why I'm here." He replied.

"Ugh, again," Ruriko said, looking at Itachi, "I'm so sorry he showed up like this. I'll make him leave."

"Will you?" Hajin challenged, but Ruriko grabbed him by the arm, jerking him from his seat, glaring angrily. Hajin just smirked, but let Ruriko drag him to the front door. Itachi just watched silently, leaning on the doorframe. Ruriko opened the front door and stepped out after shoving Hajin out, shutting the door.

"You jerk," She snapped, "This is Itachi's home and you don't go barging in like that or making me wake him up at almost three in the morning." Hajin frowned, leaning on the wall outside near the garden.

"Yea, whatever. Is he your boyfriend or something?" He demanded. Ruriko went pink, clenching her fists.

"Why does everyone say that? We're just friends. Even if I did like Itachi, he obviously doesn't like me like that. He's treating more like an obnoxious little sister. Look, Hajin, I wouldn't mind catching up with you sometime, but now's just not the time. I'm stressed and-"

"Because you don't like being Madara's pawn, because someone's reeking havoc in this so-called peaceful and loyal village, because Itachi doesn't love you back, because you still don't know what to do about Hioshi having worked with Kotaro, because you think Kage is following your every…" Hajin drawled, dropping his arms to his sides and pushing off the side of the wall. Ruriko's eyes glowed as she frowned, watching him with her guard up.

"How do you know all that?" She demanded. Hajin smiled, tilting his head.

"My pets. I have them everywhere. Haven't you noticed them as a reoccurring theme throughout your entire adventure? Like the ones in the cave with you and Sasuke… When you were spying on Kotaro. I had sent them there to watch Kotaro, but you and Sasuke showed up and killed most of my special summonings… Not to mention, many of the spiders were following you around in the first place, clinging to the back of your boots or floating through the air nearby on threads. I even let a few of them hook onto Kotaro… Of course, no one paid any mind to them. They're just spiders, right?" He asked, smirking. Ruriko shuddered and batted her arms thoughtlessly.

"UGH, that's gross! Don't do that!"

"That's the best part about being friends with spiders," Hajin continued, holding out a finger and letting a small black arachnid crawl on his finger, "They're about as loyal as dogs, but small. Even so, they'll do anything to please their masters." Ruriko gritted her teeth, then blinked.

"Loyal… Hajin, what do you know about the attacks in Konoha? The ones supposedly caused by a black mass of clouds?" She demanded. Hajin grinned.

"Why should I tell you? You're living with another guy and you're acting pretty uninviting after such a long time." He mused. Ruriko glared.

"I told you before, Itachi and I are just friends. I'm sorry, but you scared me, all right? It's like you said, I'm stressed and nervous about a lot of things right now. It's got me tense. Hajin, I need to know who's doing all this. If I don't, I can't clear Sasuke and Itachi's names as well as clear their records." She stated. Hajin sighed.

"You're pretty desperate to keep them here… Such a prison warden," He smirked, then backed up into the street further more, glancing up and down before looking at her, "You already know who it is, but you're too in denial to admit it."

"What? Hajin-"

"My time's up. I just needed to get some information."

"Hajin!"

"See ya later, doll face." Hajin said with a smile, tilting his head before he shot up off the ground and vanished into the darkness. Ruriko glared after him, then whipped around, going back into the house to find Itachi standing in the same spot he was. She frowned.

"Sorry."

"So you said… Go to sleep now. We'll do more of this research tomorrow." Itachi advised. Ruriko sighed and nodded, going upstairs. As soon as her head touched the pillow in the guest room, she was fast asleep, trying hard to think about the case in her sleep.

**Next Day**

"What?" Ruriko demanded angrily, clenching her fists as Daisuke sighed, shaking his head.

"It's unbelievable. The same attack happened on the hospital last night. It happened around 3:30 a.m." He informed, scanning over a report from an Anbu that had been present at the hospital that night.

"It says here that it was the same black mass," Daisuke explained as they walked down the hallway through the shambles, "The mass was bigger this time they say and it caused my destruction. It went straight to the medical file room, taking files on several citizens as well as the autopsy report for Kotaro's body."

"The autopsy report?" Ruriko asked with a frown. Daisuke nodded, flipping to the next page.

"The report had the date and time of his birth and date, pictures of his corpse and the wounds as well as a before picture. There's a few pictures in there of him when he was younger and a few old x-rays. There was even a blood sample stolen."

"That's so creepy…" Ruriko muttered, shuddering. Daisuke nodded and glanced up as they approached the three Anbu from the incident at Tsunade's office.

"Inuke, Niku. Who was the one present with the report?" Ruriko asked. Niku gestured a thumb to the clown-masked Anbu.

"Shinwa here was the one who reported, but he's mute, so he can't really relay any information verbally." He explained. Ruriko frowned.

"Well, that's just great. All we have is the short report he wrote us." She sighed. Daisuke skimmed the pages again.

"This is still suspicious. The attacks are the same. It's always a dark form."

"I know who it is," Ruriko muttered, "But at the same time, there's just not enough proof."

"A dead guy can't steal information like this," Daisuke disagreed, "Kage is off the suspect list."

"Exactly why I didn't say it." Ruriko huffed, then frowned toward the silent Anbu, who had tilted his head upwards. She frowned and looked up, following his gaze to see him staring at the busted lights overhead. Ruriko frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"There's something on the light bulb up there." She stated, pointing up. Daisuke looked up, squinting a bit, then handed Ruriko the clipboard, jumping up and snatching the evidence off the broken glass. They all leaned in to see it.

"Fluff?" Inuke asked, confused. It was a small piece of dark grayish fluff, feathery and soft. Ruriko took the small bit and rubbed it between her fingers, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"This has to be enough proof."

"Of?" Daisuke asked. Ruriko rolled her eyes, handing the bit back to him.

"That's part of Kage's cloak. He wore a black heavy cloak with a hood that was trimmed with dark gray fluff, just like that." She insisted.

"Hmm… We'll have to talk to Osamu. Well, I will anyway. You said you had business at the prison?" Daisuke asked. Ruriko nodded, then sighed.

"I was supposed to go with Itachi, but Tsunade pulled him away and sent him on a mission. Looks like I'll have go alone." She muttered. Daisuke and the Anbu stared at her, making her frown.

"What?" She demanded.

"Ruriko, it's not safe to go to the prison alone, particularly a girl. Take Niku and Inuke with you. Shinwa and I will keep investigating here."

"What? But I'm fine!"

"Ruriko."

"Oh, fine. Sure, whatever… Come on, guys. Let's go." Ruriko sighed, rolling her eyes as she headed for the exit. Niku and Inuke shared looks, then ran after Ruriko. They walked down the path in silence as they approached the newly built prison. The prison's front was made of thick stone built against the side of a cliff, the front doors heavy wood and guarded by six Anbu Black Ops members. They easily got inside, walking down a long corridor, being led by an Anbu named Yugao.

"Be careful," She warned as they walked down a spiral staircase to the underground portion, "The prisoners have big mouths and will taunt you or try and trick you. Don't listen to them and focus on your job. Your time limit is under an hour, so do what you can in that little time before leaving. Make sure to keep at least a foot away from the bars."

They came down to a dark hallway with lanterns hanging from the ceiling, casting an eerie glow across the barred cells, which were protected by a sealing tag on the ceiling just above the bars and out of reach of the inmates, who wore sealing tags on the backs of their gray t-shirts.

They were led near the end of the hall, where another door was locked. The last two cells contained Gatsuki and Kaede. Gatsuki was lying on his back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling, one arm over his forehead and the other hanging off the bed. It was clear that that had given him prosthetic hands and feet to enable his walking and eating. Kaede was sitting against her bed, her neon hair loose and hanging over her shoulders as she glared at the bars before looking up, laughing out loud and shocking most of the inmates awake.

"Kyaaaa! Look who came to visit, Gatsuki!" She giggled. Gatsuki tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in distaste at the Anbu and Ruriko.

"Kuh, just what I need. More brats." He muttered and looked back up at the ceiling, his fists clenching and making a creaking sound. Yugao nodded to them and departed.

"All right," Ruriko snapped at them, "Listen up because I don't want to repeat myself… Kage's still alive." Gatsuki huffed.

"Of course he is. He's not human." He retorted. Kaede snickered, hopping to her feet and dancing up to the bars, leaning on them.

"Gatsuki's right, kya. That was why Kage was the best of us. He couldn't die and he was practically joined to Kotaro-sama by the hip, kya. Kage would do anything for Kotaro-sama. He's probably still running around helplessly, trying to find something to do, kya." She cooed. Gatsuki scowled, sitting up.

"Shut up, Kaede. You keep opening that big mouth of yours and you'll spill more than you already have. No wonder Kotaro didn't trust you." He muttered. Kaede blinked, then glared at him.

"Che, as if you're one to talk, kya! You said it yourself that you disagreed with him almost all the time, kyaaa."

"So what? At least I was honest about it."

"Shut up, kya!"

"Both of you shut up," Ruriko snapped in annoyance, folding her arms over her chest, "This isn't what I wanted to talk about. I came to ask you for information, anything you know about Kage."

"As if we'd tell you, kya," Kaede huffed negatively, scowling at her, "You're the one who got us all here in the first place, kya." Gatsuki said nothing, averting his eyes and leaning on his hand on his elbow, which rested on his knee. Ruriko glared.

"Trust me, you don't _want_ me to make you tell me anything. So do it or else." She threatened.

"Ruriko," Niku cut in, "As much as I'd like to see you kill them, it's against the rules. If they don't talk-"

"No way," Inuke protested, "I say let her kick their asses! They're cruel bastards that attacked Konohagakure!"

"Shut up, kya!" Kaede spat at him, glaring sharply at him. Inuke clenched his fists and went to smack her, but Niku jerked him back. Ruriko dared to take a step closer to the bars.

"I've only got an hour, so speak." She ordered. Kaede smirked and opened her mouth to taunt, but Gatsuki cut her off.

"Kage's a living shadow," He interrupted calmly, getting to his feet and walking up to the bars, leaning on them, "He was created from jutsu, shadows, and souls by Orochimaru a while back. Kage was created as a teenager and that's how he's gonna stay for the rest of his life, physically at least. He grows up mentally like the average person."

"Gatsuki, what the hell are you doing, kya?" Kaede demanded angrily. Gatsuki huffed, waving his puppet-like hand at her.

"Shut up, kid. Let the adults talk." He ordered. Ruriko stared at him, waiting for him to continue. Gatsuki looked back at her, his pale teal eyes glowing.

"Kage served Orochimaru for only a short time until he realized that he was worthless. Kage used his powers to escape Orochimaru's lair and he wandered around aimlessly afterwards. He was technically a newborn experiment, having never left the safety of the lair, so when he first saw a human, he attacked them and killed them. He accidentally became an S-ranked criminal."

"How do you accidentally become a criminal?" Inuke asked, rolling his eyes and getting smacked upside the head by Niku. Gatsuki smirked.

"Fear. Kage didn't know what humans were. They saw him and immediately responded negatively as he was like an animal. He fed off small creatures and didn't wear anything, nor knew how to speak. They tried to hurt him and he lashed out, killing them. He's a fast learner and began to understand the way of the shinobi world. He started killing anyone he came in contact, hiding with his element of shadow." He explained.

"How do you know this?" Niku interrupted with a frown. Gatsuki cocked a brow, pursing his lips.

"Kage was pretty infamous once upon a time. Considered an old myth, actually. See, Kage apparently had clung to Kotaro's shadow after seeing him demonstrate his powers. Kotaro was the first person to ever detect Kage's presence, which impressed Kage greatly so he ended up joining as Kotaro's subordinate. Kage stuck by him all this time and always has, even until his death he was hiding beside Kotaro." He informed.

"What? But… That can't be right. Kage attacked me in the library and Osamu when we were just on the edge of the village…" Ruriko murmured. Gatsuki laughed, leaning away from the bars.

"He probably made a clone of himself. I've personally heard Kage say that he'd be in Kotaro's shadow until his death." He replied. Kaede huffed, looking away angrily at Gatsuki's betrayal. Ruriko frowned.

"You're obviously not very loyal to Kotaro." She muttered. Gatsuki smiled, tilting his head.

"Oh, no, trust me. I admired Kotaro greatly. He was powerful, mature, strong. You'd be nuts not to admire how great he was… However, Kotaro is dead. It doesn't matter anymore. Not even the little ones stand in the way. Besides, history isn't any fun if you don't know what really happened." He replied.

"Little ones?" Niku demanded. Gatsuki stuck his tongue out immaturely at him, then smirked at Ruriko.

"Kage's a loyal dog. If Kotaro said fetch, Kage would run to the ends of the earth for him. If Kotaro said sit, Kage would sit. Roll over, Kage was on it… Play dead? Kage would have no trouble complying immediately." He said.

"If you think about it," Inuke mumbled, shifting uncomfortably, "It's kind of sad that Kotaro died…"

"What're you saying?" Niku demanded angrily. Inuke flinched, waving his hands as if to surrender.

"No, no. I mean, it's a good thing, but at the same time, it's kind of sad when the dog loses its master, ya see what I mean? It's like losing your reason for living." He protested.

"You're gonna make me cry, kya!" Kaede wailed, covering her eyes. Ruriko rolled her eyes, then frowned at Gatsuki.

"What would Kage gain from tearing about the Hokage's office, the hospital, and the information library?" She asked. Gatsuki paused, rolling his eyes up, then shrugging.

"Depends. Either Kage has found a new master or he's furious that you killed his master and he's getting revenge by taking every little thing about Kotaro to comfort himself. Quite frankly, you guys are pretty stupid if you haven't noticed that both of those together can be pretty bad. Where else do you have information on Kotaro?" He asked curiously, tilting his head. Ruriko frowned, then her eyes widened.

"No way…" She murmured. Niku flinched.

"He wouldn't." He stated. Inuke and Kaede shared confused looks and looked at them all.

"What're you guys talking about?" Inuke asked, totally lost as he scratched the side of his head.

"Yea, I'm pretty lost too, kya." Kaede agreed. Gatsuki grinned, showing off his chipped and messed up teeth.

"What better place to get more info on Kotaro than the cemetery?" He asked.

"Go to the cemetery," Ruriko ordered Niku and Inuke, who jumped at the tone of her voice, "Get there as fast as you can and make sure no one enters the grounds. Turn on as many lights as you can."

"Heh," Gatsuki smirked, "Lights won't scare Kage away. If there's a shadow cast on the ground, underneath you, elongated from you, he'll attach himself to it and gladly follow you to the ends of the earth to get rid of you. Particularly you, little girl. Kage's got a bone to pick with anyone who shames him in front of his master." Ruriko glared at him, then bolted down the hallway.

"Good luck! And bring a game board next time you visit!" Gatsuki called after her and the Anbu. Ruriko gritted her teeth and rounded the corner, bolting up the staircase.

"Ruriko, slow down! What sort of information can Kage find at the cemetery anyway?" Inuke whined, trying to keep up.

"Idiot," Niku spat, "What better place than the source? He's planning on digging up Kotaro's body."

"What? Ew! Why would he do that?"

"Because he's psycho. Now hurry up!" Niku commanded. Inuke sighed, frowning before he caught up. Their shoes echoed on the stairs as they ran toward the exit, ignoring the calls from the other Anbu in the facility. Ruriko led the way to the cemetery, which was nestled near the edge of a forest. The opening archway wasn't a pleasant greeting as they ran through it and onto a stone path that led through the main portion of the cemetery, headstones peering over each other and the grass.

"This is so creepy." Inuke whined quietly, his eyes flickering across the graves. Niku frowned and held a finger to his lips before they took off running again. Ruriko was careful to keep her steps lighter and quieter as she approached another section of the cemetery. Sure enough, a foggy black mass was hovering over one of the graves.

"Ikiteiru Kage!" Ruriko announced. The black mass shifted and did a bit of a swirl before Kage was revealed, his expression tired.

"You again… Don't approach me." He added when Ruriko took a step forward. Ruriko frowned, clenching her fists.

"Kage, whatever you're doing, stop. You've ruined several important buildings and digging up Kotaro isn't going to make you feel better." She explained. Kage's eyes glowed.

"First off, those attacks weren't my fault… Second, it's obvious I can't touch anything solid… If I could, I would dig him up… And find one of Orochimaru's files on resurrection." He added under his breath. Ruriko blinked.

"Wait, you can't touch anything solid?" She asked. Kage rolled his eyes, but nodded and thrust his hand toward the gravestone. It burst into smoke on impact before coming back together as he pulled away. Niku frowned.

"If you can't touch anything solid… Then who's been stealing the information from the places you attacked?" He asked, confused. For once, Inuke stayed silent, staring at Kage, who shifted back.

"The person who's been catching me and releasing me each time. If I had a choice, I wouldn't be making these attacks."

"So who's doing it?" Ruriko demanded. Kage frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but he suddenly burst into black dust, the mass returning and shifting before the whistling of wind followed. Kage's form was sucked back into the trees and the sound of a cap touching a jar followed before a quiet laugh.

"Sorry about him… He's disobedient when it comes to people he refuses to serve…" Ruriko's eyes flashed.

"You." She muttered. Stepping from the trees in a heavy gray cloak with the hood up, Yakushi Kabuto revealed himself from the shadows. Niku blinked.

"Kabuto? You have some nerve showing back up in this village." He muttered. Kabuto smiled, cocking his head.

"Don't greet me like that."

"What the hell do you want? Are you the one stealing the information?" Ruriko demanded angrily, clenching her fists as she took a step toward him. Kabuto took a step to the side, leaning on a headstone as he held he jar of black in his hands.

"Yes. I've been stealing most of it for my own plans. As Orochimaru is dead, well… Somewhat. I've had nothing else to do, so I made it my duty to come and investigate the effects of Kotaro's war on Konohagakure. He must have not been as powerful as everyone assumed if he was defeated so easily by his own sister." He snickered.

"It's bad luck to mock the dead, Kabuto." Niku muttered. Ruriko frowned.

"Niku's right. Just shut up and tell us what you're planning and we _might_ not kill you." She threatened. Kabuto sighed.

"And that's why I can't make any deals with you. You're so quick… But it doesn't matter. I'm just collecting information first before I start causing trouble. And Kage here was one of the first pawns to join," He tapped the glass, making the black mass tumble around, "Kage was created to be loyal to his most powerful master, which was originally Orochimaru until Kage realized that he wasn't so powerful, especially after the battle with the Third Hokage. He ran away, much to everyone's dismay and found a new master. The only reason Kage is really mourning is because he now has no purpose to live on. He was created solely for the purpose of pleasing his master and that's it."

"That's cruel," Ruriko muttered, "Let Kage go. Even though he's part of Kotaro's army and also a jerk for trying to kill me, it's just not right for you to keep him like a lightening bug in a jar like that. Nor use him to make a distraction so you could jump in and grab the files, wearing gloves." She pointed to Kabuto's hands, leather gloves adorning them. Kabuto laughed.

"About time you guessed. However, I'm not letting Kage go just yet. I still need him for a few things as well as unearthing Kotaro's body. If I can get a hold of it, I can play with it, learn more than any files could ever offer. I might even be able to use his corpse for other things. For now, I think you should just back down so I can get to work. It takes a while to dig up a body without harming it." He explained.

"That's sick," Niku spat, "Get away from the grave, Kabuto, or we'll be forced to attack." Kabuto frowned, then smirked and reached up to adjust his glasses before he held the jar up, tapping his finger on it.

"If I let him go on you, the power released is like a bullet and will completely shred you apart. I think you should stay where you are if you value your lives." He replied calmly, setting the jar on the headstone. Ruriko immediately bolted forward. Kabuto's eyes flashed and he swung a series of senbon out. Ruriko winced, jerking back, but knocking the jar off the headstone. Inuke darted in, falling to the ground and catching the jar just in time.

Kabuto glared and made a few hand signs, going to attack, but Niku made hand signs quickly, vines shooting up from the ground and catching Kabuto with them wrapping around his body.

"You're all pretty dumb yourself," Kabuto sighed at last after struggling, "Attacking the real thing might have been more effective." His body began to melt like mud, slipping through the vines and vanishing. Niku cursed.

"Damn it."

"Oh well," Ruriko sighed, putting a hand on her hip, "So long as we got Kage." She glanced up, frowning as Inuke stood up with the jar, across the stone path. Niku blinked, eyeing Inuke.

"Where do you think you're going with that?" He demanded. Inuke twitched, then sighed and turned to face them, holding the jar close to his chest.

"See, I thought hiding out and getting closer to the insides of this village might help me get revenge, killing Kotaro-sama like that, but obviously I can't do this myself… I'm taking Kage with me back to the Land of Rivers." He replied calmly. Ruriko glared.

"You sniveling little cockroach! I should've known there was something weird about you." She muttered bitterly. Inuke smiled, cocking his head to the side.

"It would've been nice to stay in this village. It's not so bad… But of course, a shinobi from Kotaro's army can't flee after he's left alive. I'm sorry about betraying you and everything. Really, but I was brought up pretty much in the same manner Kage was created. Anyway, it was nice meeting you guys. Tell Kotori-sama I said hi and I think she's really cute." He added with a wink and held a hand sign in front of his lips, vanishing in a puff of smoke, taking the jar with him.

"Damn! He got away. This was a pointless trek." Niku cursed. Ruriko didn't make a move to run anywhere, frowning at where Inuke had vanished.

"That's so weird…"

"What is?" Niku asked, turning to her. Ruriko shrugged.

"Everyone's so loyal, it's scary. I mean, Kage, Inuke… And then this village to their Hokage. I dunno… I'm just thinking aloud. Come on, let's go report this to the Hokage and go to bed. It's getting late."

"Right…" Niku murmured, then looked at Kotaro's headstone. Ruriko followed his stare, then smiled a little.

"You're not one of them too, are you?" She asked. Niku blinked and looked up, then smiled lightly.

"Once upon a time. It's always the start of a really long story and we don't have time for it." He replied. Ruriko blinked and looked up at him before he nodded.

"A very long story indeed. I'm sure you carry a long story as well, Tsukuyomi."

"Oh yea. It'd be like a bazillion chapters long."

"Maybe you should start writing."

"… Maybe I should…"

**Next Day…**

"So, the case is solved?" Itachi asked as they sat at a small rounded table just outside a café. Ruriko nodded, leaning back in her chair, sighing as she held her cup of warm tea.

"Yup… Unfortunately, both culprits got away, though… It's a pain in the ass and I felt pretty bad for Kage. He really doesn't have a choice in the matter." She murmured, watching her reflection ripple in the cup. Itachi shrugged lightly, taking a sip of his tea, relaxing.

"Yea… Well, I guess this means you can relax then."

"Definitely. It's gonna be weird since I'm so used to tension in the air… Oh, by the way, I've read all your books, so I'll bring 'em to your room tonight around ten."

"All right… Is your friend still around?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean Hajin? Oh, hell if I know. That disgusting little shrimp should get himself a girlfriend _away_ from Konoha and _away_ from me." Ruriko stated with a confident nod. Itachi smiled lightly.

"You don't have anything in your schedule then?"

"Nope. Probably juts another café visit with you. Why?"

"No reason… I was wondering if you wanted to go to the hot springs. There's nothing else to do as Tsunade doesn't have any missions scheduled for me." Itachi explained, looking down at his tea. Ruriko blinked and leaned forward a bit, blushing lightly.

"Hot springs?"

"Yea. They're just outside the village limits."

"All right… That sounds cool." Ruriko smiled. Itachi nodded. They were quiet for a while before they got up to head to the hot springs.

"Ruriko."

"Hm?"

"You can stop telling people we're just friends." Itachi said. Ruriko blinked and looked at him, confused for a second before she blushed.

"Wh-What…?" Her voice trailed. Itachi smiled, tilting his head a little.

"You've stayed at my house, we've had dates every day since after the war, and we're going into a hot spring together. It's pretty evident."

"Er, oh… Then…?" Ruriko didn't know quite know how to finish her sentence, so she risked reaching her hand out to take Itachi's, leaning on him. He didn't protest, smiling to himself as they walked. Ruriko beamed.

_This is gonna be great~_

**FIN**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I'm sure this explains itself. :) **_**Shadows of Heroes**_** is now over and Part III will be starting ASAP! Hopefully you all have the bios in. If not, you still have time as the first chapter is always just a babble. lol. The next series (uncreative-like) is called **_**Shadows of the Next Generation**_**. Keep an eye out for it and the credits right after this final chapter! Well, thanks you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Here are the credits for characters used in this fan fiction.**

**The following characters belong to RurikoTsukuyomi and are not to be stolen and or used without permission:**

Tsukuyomi Ruriko

Tsukuyomi Akira

Tsukuyomi Hioshi

Tsukuyomi Kazuya

Tsukuyomi Kishiko

Tsukuyomi Raiden

Tsukuyomi Daiki

Maruyama Botan

Kinjo Miyuki

Nero

Roku

Old Man Kaiga

Ikiteiru Kage

Uzumaki Kaede

Mushishokan Gatsuki

Akumu

Inori

Shiôrisha Usagi

Shiôrisha Idomu

Inuke

Niku

Hajin

Ayano

Zoki

Chi

Shichi

Yasushi

**The following characters belong to **_**wisdom-jewel**_** and are not to be taken without permission:**

Hitsuki Mayu

Hitsuki Kesshou

Tachibana Ayaka and Honoka

Kawaguchi Ryuuko

**The following characters belong to **_**Rei Sagara**_** and are not to be taken without permission:**

Uchiha Koyuki

Souh Kasumi

Souh Kai

**The following characters belong to **_**sco23**_** and are not to be taken without permission:**

Yagani Daisuke

Matsuki Sora

Kamaya Mai

**The following characters belong to **_**Arrrbie**_** and are not to be taken without permission:**

Kuromura Kotori

Kuromura Kotaro

Saki Osamu

Saki Kishi

Akiyama Eiji

Akamizu Miyori

**The following character belongs to **_**Pop'n'Lock7**_** and cannot be taken without permission:**

Katsu Kin

**The following character belongs to **_**I-Luvs-Deidara-ArtIsABangUn**_** and cannot be taken without permission:**

Kirai

**Any and all other characters not mentioned belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**No REAL ninjas were harmed during the making of this fan fiction, except maybe a few…**

**In Memory of the Shinobi who actually did die during the making of the fan fiction:**

**Old Man Kaiga**

**Kuromura Kotaro**

**And the rest of his army**

**I thank you all so very much for sticking with this fan fiction and for all of you who read it. Thank you uber much for reviewing as well! You helped me achieve my goal of getting over a hundred reviews and it makes me very happy! Get ready for Part III of **_**Shadows of Heroes**_**:**

_**Shadows of the Next Generation**_


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